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May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 1

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 2

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 3

Community EventsCommunity EventsSponsored by:

Insperity’s

Community Events...

Page 4-7

Happy Birthdays...4

Military Minutes...8

Texas Music Scene...16

Texas Takes...18

Penny Uselton...19

Random Thoughts...20

Good News Gazee..21

Home Country...21

World & Local...22

Crossword...24

Business Block...30

The Dam Gossip...32

Snicker...35

T Travels...36-37

NRA Quotes & Pics...38

Kay Lynn Arrendell

PAM THIEL

Tina Sef-Johnson

Trisha Joy Reynolds

Mark DuBose

Ashley McKellarDanielle Andries Romagus

Greg Davis

Tommy Hopson

Melinda Clements

Steve Howeth

Derrick Adams

Ashley Lanier

Cheryl Spain

Lisa Hanke Swanson

Jeff Jordan

April Holt

Wade Nelson

Alex Bergeron

C.J. Jolly

Karen Cox

Rick Dobbs

Renee Isbell

Mandy Nettles

George Russell

Kelly Bruner

Mike Arrendell

Laurie McMurrey

Chris Robertson

Lizzie Duble

Pat StephensonLisa Berry Lewis

It’s your birthday! Treat yourself to some HOMEMADE icecream at Shuky-Deez! 202 N. Washington Ste 300, Livingston, TX 936.327.4144 (Pic:Crystal & Ceasar)

Coldspring UnitedMethodist Church SundayService is 8:30 am & 11 amSunday School is at 9:45 amYouth Group Wednesday at5:30 pm

Family Faith Church Pas-tors Jeff & Eileen HacklemanSundays in Coldspring @11:00 am www.familyfaith.ws

Christian Faith ChurchSunday Worship 10:30 am &Bible Study 7 pm Wednesday1040 Hwy 190 Oakhurst77359 936.377.4795

First Apostolic ChurchSunday Worship 10:00 amand 6:30 pm Bible Study7:30 Tuesday

Goodrich, TX936.365.3838

First United PentecostalSunday Worship 10:00 am &6:00 pm Bible StudyWednesday 7 pm Youth Gath-ering Fridays @ 7 pm On-Alaska, TX 936.646.4514

Methodist Church ofGoodrich Sunday School9:00 am, Worship 10:25amGoodrich, TX 936.365.2435

Lake Livingston LutheranChurch Sunday School &Bible Study 9:30 am, Wor-

ship 11:00 Hwy 190 & FM3152, On Alaska, TX936.646.5681

Lake Station BaptistChurch Sunday School 9:45am, Worship 11:00 am,Wednesday Bible Study 6:00pm Goodrich, TX936.365.2755

New Hope Missionary Bap-tist Church Sunday School9:45 am, Worship 11:00 am

The Universal EthicianChurch Beyond the end of FM135 in San Jacinto County Serv-ices are held on the Sabbath(Saturday) 1 hour before Sunsethttp://www.sunsetservices.org

St. Stephens CatholicChurch Point Blank, TX Mass-4:30 pm every Satur-day!

Laurel Hill MissionaryBaptist Church, Pastor PaulDawkins, Evergreen, TX 105 FM 945 N; 936.767.8497Sunday School @ 9:45,Church Service 10:50 am,Wednesday Night BibleStudy 6:00 pm

New Life ChurchPastor Dusty Kemp10800 Hamerly Blvd.Houston, TX 77043713.932.1479Worship Sunday 10:30 amPrayer Tues 7p Bible Study Wed 7p

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 4

In the above photo,

Les Miller, store man-

ager of Brookshire

Brothers Grocery in

Coldspring, stands with

Charlotte Cruz, Ruth

Cardenas, and Shelia

Mosley after a very

successful fundraiser

for the Coldspring Area

Public Library held

April 14-21, 2013. This

year $1,600.00 was do-

nated to the library by

the generous patrons

of Brookshire Brothers.

This donation will

help the library provide

resources and services

to the citizens of Cold-

spring and the sur-

rounding area. The

library depends on

community support for

operating expenses as

well as the purchase of

new resources for li-

brary patrons. As al-

ways, we are grateful

to the employees at

Brookshire Brothers for

their endless support!

2013 Coldspring Area Public Library

Brookshire Brothers Donation Drive

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 5

"Break the old paern of present moment denial and pres-ent moment resistance. Make it your practice to withdraw at-

tention from past and future whenever they are not needed."(Oneness With All Life)

Washington, DC –

Today, the U.S. House of

Representatives passed

The Working Families

Flexibility Act, introduced

by Alabama Representa-

tive Martha Roby (R).

The bill amends the Fair

Labor Standards Act of

1938 to allow private-

sector employers to give

their employees the op-

tion of receiving overtime

pay in the form of com-

pensatory time off. Cur-

rent labor law only allows

this choice to be given to

public employees.

“A lot has changed

since 1938 and our labor

laws should change to

give parents the flexibility

they need to balance the

demands of work and

home,” said Congress-

man Kevin Brady, the fa-

ther of two young sons.

“If government workers

get more flexibility for

their families, why

shouldn’t other work-

ers?”

Under the measure,

participation by compa-

nies and workers is vol-

untary. Government

workers have enjoyed

this option for almost

thirty years.

“With all that parents

have to accomplish,

sometimes they need

more time during the

week to get to those

baseball games, doctor’s

appointments and par-

ent-teacher conferences.

This common-sense leg-

islation gives families the

freedom to do more to-

gether,” concluded

Brady.

House Votes to Give Families More Flexibility‘If government workers get more flexibility for their families, why

shouldn’t other workers?’ asks Brady

The San Jacinto

County Tourism Council

is celebrating National

Travel & Tourism Week

by hosting a networking

luncheon on Wednesday,

May 8, 2013. The event

will be held at the Cold-

spring Community Center

beginning at 11:30 am.

The luncheon is free and

all area businesses, or-

ganizations, and individu-

als that have an interest

in the promotion and sup-

port tourism are encour-

aged to attend.

Businesses are asked to

bring business cards, fly-

ers, pamphlets, etc., to

share with others attend-

ing.The SJC Tourism

Council is opening an of-fice in the ColdspringChamber office buildingduring the month of Mayand is in need of informa-tional materials for distri-

bution to callers inquiringof tourism interests inSan Jacinto County.Plans are for the tourismoffice to be open a cou-ple of days a week on al-ternating days in whichthe chamber office isopen. Partnering with thechamber and the plansfor the office building tobe open 5 days a weekwill certainly help to meetthe needs of visitors toSan Jacinto County.

“We at the TourismCouncil want to hearideas from those of you

in the community onways we can help pro-mote San JacintoCounty”, said presidentGayle Erwin. “A sloweconomy has had a“TRAVEL EFFECT” onmany businesses the lastfew years and theTourism Council as well abusiness owners wouldlike to see that change”.

Please make plans to

attend this informational

networking luncheon, by

sending in your RSVP by

Monday, May 6, 2013 so

that you are included as

a participant. Email

RSVP to

gayleerwin@eastex.net

or call the tourism council

at 936-827-8210 or

Gayle Erwin

832-282-7128

NATIONAL TRAVEL &

TOURISM WEEK...May 4-12

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 5

E=mc 2

1 A

Tuesday May 14th

Noon

Note: Our luncheons are usually every other month, the 3rd Tuesday, however, due to scheduling issues, the Board of Directors chose to move the luncheon to May 14th. Lunch is $15 and will be catered by Rayfield Jefferson. Please RSVP by Saturday, May 11th to ccc@coldspringtexas.org or call and/or leave a message at the Chamber office 936.653.2184

Coldspring Community Center

We will recognize & honor our COCISD & SISD

Scholarship Awardees

Coldspring / San Jacinto County Chamber of Commerce

invites you to our May 14th Luncheon Noon

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 6

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 7

For many business own-

ers, the Patient Protec-

tion and Affordable Care

Act, or PPACA, intro-

duces confusion into an

already complicated busi-

ness environment.

Insperity offers a power-

ful, competitive advan-

tage to our Workforce

Optimization clients by

providing stability during

this uncertain time. Over

our 27-year history, we’ve

helped thousands of

companies prosper by

managing their employee

administration and com-

pliance burdens so that

they can focus on growth.

What is Health Care Re-

form?

Health care reform actu-

ally consists of two laws

enacted in March 2010 —

the Patient Protection

and Affordable Care Act

(PPACA) and the Health

Care and Education Rec-

onciliation Act (HCERA).

Together, these laws

change the rules that

guide and control govern-

ment health programs, in-

dividual health coverage

and employer-sponsored

group health plans.

Although parts of health

care reform were initially

challenged as unconstitu-

tional, the U.S. Supreme

Court upheld the individ-

ual mandate requiring all

Americans to obtain

health insurance or pay a

penalty.

This means Health Care

Reform is here to stay.

Scheduled to be imple-

mented over an eight-

year period from 2010

through 2018, the Afford-

able Care Act is designed

to provide:

Greater access to cover-

age

Improved quality of cov-

erage

More affordable coverage

Insurance carrier ac-

countability

What Health Care Re-

form means for your

business:

For all employers, Health

Care Reform will be com-

plicated to understand.

For many, it will be diffi-

cult to comply with and

implement. But no matter

what size your company

may be, there are three

key areas of concern:

Complexity

Workforce demographics

will need to be thoroughly

understood in order to fa-

cilitate sound decision-

making regarding health

plan offerings. This will

require year(s)-long data

tracking from human re-

sources, payroll and ben-

efits administration

systems.

Cost

Such sweeping reform

doesn’t come cheap.

Health care premiums

are expected to rise be-

cause new taxes and

fees will impact insurance

carriers and health care

providers. Extreme price

volatility is expected up to

and throughout 2014.

Compliance

While regulations for

businesses with less than

50 employees have yet to

be defined, the guidelines

for larger companies are

clear. Businesses with 50

or more employees will

be subject to a host of

new requirements, includ-

ing the requirement to

provide health coverage

or face possible tax

penalties, as well as the

requirement to file reports

containing information

about their workforce and

health plan offerings.

What this means is that

business owners,

whether small or large,

can’t afford to wait to get

health care reform assis-

tance. More health care

reform regulations are

being issued every week.

And if you wait, you place

your company and your

employees at risk of in-

creased costs and tax

penalties.

How Insperity can help

We’ve led the HR and

benefits administration in-

dustry for almost 30

years. And ever since

Health Care Reform was

enacted in early 2010,

we’ve been studying and

monitoring the law to en-

sure that our Workforce

Optimization clients are

always prepared and al-

ways in compliance. We

are proud of the confi-

dence and stability we

provide to thousands of

America’s best busi-

nesses. And we’re ready

to help you.

Providing Certainty in Uncertain Times

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 7

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 8

Military Minutes

By Benedict D. LaRosa

1) Because high-ca-

pacity, military-style

firearms are designed for

conflict, and when I need

to protect myself and my

freedom, I want the most

reliable, durable, combat-

proven, highest-capacity

weapon available.

2) Because attempts

to infringe my right to own

and possess such arms

makes me suspicious of

the motive.

3) Because I distrust

people in government, as

they have consistently

proven themselves un-

trustworthy, attracting

people who prefer to rule

rather than to govern, to

be served rather than to

serve.

4) Because any type

of gun control among

peaceful people is a vio-

lent act which must be re-

sisted.

5) Because under the

Fast & Furious program,

this administration has fa-

cilitated the transfer of

the same type of

weapons illegally to Mexi-

can drug dealers, and

then used the violence at-

tributed to these weapons

as a pretext for more gun

control.

6) Because it makes

politicians and bureau-

crats nervous and cau-

tious, and I like nervous,

cautious public servants.

7) Because I prefer to

have those in govern-

ment fear me rather than

to fear them.

8) Because banning

such weapons from civil-

ian hands concentrates

power rather than dif-

fuses it, and concentrated

power is dangerous.

9) Because I refuse to

be a subject, and a dis-

armed or poorly armed

populace is no longer

sovereign.

10) Because a popu-

lace armed with the latest

small arms is a credible

threat to tyrannical gov-

ernment.

11) Because I may

have to enforce my rights

some day against an in-

vader, criminals, or a

tyrannical government.

12) Because only pris-

oners and slaves have

their needs determined

by government, and I’m

neither.

13) Because I operate

from rights, not privileges,

and my rights are not

subject to anyone’s vote.

14) Because crimi-

nals, disturbed people,

and would-be tyrants fear

us only as long as they

need to, and they need to

only as long as we are

armed with powerful-

enough weapons.

15) Because, since no

one may tell me not to

publish a book for fear

someone may libel an-

other, or not to purchase

a car because of possible

accidents, then no one

can tell me I can’t own a

certain type of weapon

because one like it may

be misused by someone

else.

16) Because I want a

better chance to defend

myself, my loved ones,

and anyone else I choose

from those who would

harm us.

17) Because I’m

alarmed that civil agen-

cies of the federal gov-

ernment are stockpiling

an unprecedented

amount of ammunition,

weapons, mine-resistant

armored vehicles, and

bulletproof traffic-stop

booths beyond any legiti-

mate need.

18) Because, like in-

surance, it is better to

have them and not need

them, than to need them

and not have them.

19) Because I alone

will determine what

weapons are essential for

my own defense.

20) Because banning

or registering them is be-

yond the lawful authority

of government.

21) Because I feel

safer possessing them.

22) Because only fools

limit their firepower.

23) Because of the

ever-present potential for

lawlessness following

riots, as happened in Los

Angeles in 1993, and nat-

ural disasters, as in New

Orleans following Hurri-

cane Katrina (2005) and

along the New Jersey–

New York coast in the af-

termath of Hurricane

Sandy (2012).

24) Because they are

more dependable than

calling 911.

25) Because govern-

ment has often proved it-

self unreliable in an

emergency, or danger-

ous, as at Ruby Ridge in

1992 and Waco in 1993.

26) Because unless I

possess such arms, I am

outgunned by Mexican

drug smugglers and other

gang members armed

with the latest weaponry.

See #5 above.

27) Because I don’t

know what perils the fu-

ture will bring.

28) Because they

deter criminal behavior

better than anti-gun slo-

gans, laws, signs, or

lesser arms.

29) Because if police

need such weapons to

defend us, so do we as

the first ones at the scene

of a crime.

30) Because I may

have to confront more See Military Weapons Pg 10

Why I Want High-Capacity, Military-Style Weapons

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 8

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Blvd Houston, TX 77030 713-791-1414 | 800-553-2278

Last week, the

Michael E. DeBakey VA

Medical Center (MED-

VAMC) reached the mile-

stone of enrolling 8,000

participants in the Million

Veteran Program (MVP):

A Partnership with Veter-

ans, and is leading the

nation in enrollment ef-

forts. The MEDVAMC is

one of 49 VA medical

centers serving as an en-

rollment site for this na-

tional, voluntary research

program conducted by

the Department of Veter-

ans Affairs, Office of Re-

search & Development.

The knowledge gained

will help better under-

stand how genes affect

Veterans’ health and ill-

ness, with the ultimate

goal of transforming

health care.

“MVP is a truly historic

effort, in terms of both VA

research and medical re-

search in general,” said

Adam C. Walmus,

M.H.A., M.A., F.A.C.H.E.,

MEDVAMC director. “Vet-

erans nationwide are

helping to create a data-

base that has the poten-

tial to help millions

around the country – Vet-

eran and non-Veteran

alike. They are continuing

to serve the nation well

beyond the time they

stopped wearing the uni-

form.”

MVP provides re-

searchers with a rich re-

source of genetic, health,

lifestyle, and military-ex-

posure data collected

from questionnaires,

medical records, and ge-

netic analyses. By com-

bining this information

into a single database,

MVP promises to ad-

vance knowledge about

the complex links be-

tween genes and health.

Authorized researchers

are able to use MVP data

to help answer important

questions on a wide

range of health conditions

affecting Veterans, from

military-related conditions

such as post-traumatic

stress and traumatic

brain injury, to common

chronic illnesses such as

diabetes and heart dis-

ease.

Participants are asked

to complete a one-time

study visit (approximately

20 minutes in length) to

provide a blood sample

for genetic

analysis.

Participation

also includes

filling out

health sur-

veys, allow-

ing on-going

access to

medical

records, and

agreeing to

future con-

tact. Veteran

participation

does not af-

fect access to VA health

care or benefits.

“This milestone has

come about thanks to our

Veteran participants and

lots of hard work and

dedication on the part of

our researchers and the

MVP team,” said Rayan

Al Jurdi, M.D., a MED-

VAMC psychiatrist, co-pri-

mary investigator of the

MVP in Houston, and an

associate professor at

Baylor College of Medi-

cine. “That is why the

Michael E. DeBakey VA

Medical Center won the

title MVP of the MVP for

highest overall enrollment

nationwide in this re-

search effort.”

"We wish to congratu-

late the Michael E. De-

Bakey VA Medical Center

and the local MVP team

for their outstanding per-

formance in reaching this

milestone,” said

See Veterans Pg 31

Houston Million Veteran Program

reaches 8,000th VeteranHouston VA Enrolls its 8,000th Veteran in Mil-

lion Veteran Program

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 9

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 10

Letter from the Editor:

We know there are a

million places to place

your advertising dollars

and we are not only

grateful you choose to

place your hard earned

money in our hands but

we want to assure you it’s

the RIGHT place! We are

a group of networkers at

heart; from the people

who read/subscribe to the

people who contribute to

the people who do our

ad-work all the way to our

editors. We are addicted

to networking!

Currently we have dis-

tribution in 17 states and

from Clear Lake to Lake

Livingston and a lot of

places in between. Wher-

ever your business is...it

is in the right spot to ad-

vertise with us!

The Dam Good Times

travels all over the world

getting attention. Re-

cently one of our Liv-

ingston readers had our

paper in New York and

now we have our THIRD

subscriber there! Now,

that may not sound like a

lot but seriously, its us

we’re talking about!

The Dam Good Times

paper has spread across

this country in a way that

humbles my heart. We

are passed out at gun

shows and various con-

ventions throughout

Texas as well. We have

been seen and read by

some of the most influen-

tial people in the United

States of America and

have received countless

accolades for our unwa-

vering patriotism. We

support our troops in

word and in deed and we

love, love, love our coun-

try and our constitution.

Know that when you

spend money advertising

with us the gig isn’t up

just yet...we talk about

our advertisers in our

daily lives, we facebook

for our advertisers, we

tweet about you and you

are visible on our website

for anyone in the world to

see you. We are continu-

ously at events and we

are continuously newt-

working...I think I said that

once already...In

essence, we are passion-

ate about our publication

and our advertisers!

When you advertise

with us people know you

are a trustworthy source

of information and/or

services. Our goal is to

have a small group of

loyal advertisers who be-

lieve the way we do; in a

strong America, a strong

military, the right to bear

arms and a small govern-

ment. We believe in free-

dom, liberty and justice

for all!

It's a win-win for our

advertisers. They receive

ads in a widespread, ap-

preciated newspaper and

their advertising dollars

continue to support our

constitutional rights.

Who is John Galt?

Crystal Laramore

Support our cause atwww.thedamgoodtimes.com

email us @

news@thedamgoodtimes.com

Military Weapons...

than one heavily armed

antagonist over an ex-

tended period of time.

31) Because the ser-

vant is not greater than

his master, and we didn’t

hire the police or politi-

cians to disarm or limit

our armaments.

32) Because bad guys

have them and will con-

tinue to get them regard-

less of what laws foolish

or treasonous legislators

pass.

33) Because I’m a

member of the unor-

ganized militia, and

such weapons

are appropri-

ate to the

militia.

34)

Because

they

make up

better than

other

weapons for my

old age, infirmities,

and other limitations.

35) Because I prefer

to speak softly, but carry

a big, bad gun with

plenty of ammunition.

36) Because it makes

me happy to collect,

shoot, and hunt with

such weapons, and I

have a right to pursue my

happiness to the extent

of not infringing on the

equal rights of others.

37) Because there are

occasional mass shoot-

ings that require an in-

kind response.

38) Because, like

Theodore Roosevelt, I

may not know how to

shoot well, but I know

how to shoot often.

39) Because I need to

be as well armed as any

potential attacker to have

a chance at survival.

40) Because they give

me confidence in danger-

ous situations.

41) Because such

guns make a stronger

statement than I can

without them.

42) Because it’s pri-

marily my responsibility

to defend myself, my

loved ones, and a free

government.

43) Because tyrants,

criminals, and ignorant

people don’t want me to

have them.

44) Because it’s fool-

ish to get into a fight

without more ammunition

and a better weapon

than your opponent.

45) Because being

stripped of the ability to

defend myself ade-

quately doesn’t make me

safe; it makes me vulner-

able.

46) Because in some

parts of the country,

bears, mountain lions,

wolves, feral hogs, and

other wild animals, some

of whom roam in packs,

threaten people and do-

mesticated animals, even

in residential areas.

47) Because a few

hits may not incapacitate

attackers sufficiently to

stop them.

48) Because 75 per-

cent–80 percent of

rounds fired by police in

lethal-force encounters

miss the intended target,

and I can expect the

same results

under the stress

of an attack.

49) Finally,

because it’s my

God-given

right to do so,

guaranteed by Arti-

cle I, Section 8 of

the U.S. Constitution,

in which no enumerated

power is granted to Con-

gress to regulate

weapons; and further se-

cured by the Second

Amendment to the U.S.

Constitution, which pro-

hibits Congress from in-

fringing the right to keep

and bear arms, with an

equivalent provision in

most state constitutions,

purchased at a high cost

and paid in full by the

lives and limbs of count-

less Americans from

1775 to the present.

Boundsautoplex.net

ATTENTION Republicans!

The Polk County Republican Club meetsthe first Tuesday of each month and be-

ginning in March (5) the meetings will be held at

Shrimp Boat Manny’s.

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 10

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 11

Cynthia Thibodeaux is the owner of Cynthia’s Station. Cynthia has studied abroad in France and bringsthe most innovative techniques in Haute Coiffure right hereto Houston, TX! Cynthia has been a practicing stylist forover 20 years and graduated top in her class. Cynthia haspracticed at the most prestigious salons in Houston beforebranching out on her own. Cynthia takes into account eachindividual face shape, hair texture and more when she consults with her clients on anything from hair color to dramatic hair style changes. Live in Houston? Looking for anew stylist or a new look? Look no further!

Just Country Opening Soon! Stop by and check on our progress!We’re next to Frank’s Liquor on the

corner of 2025 and FM 150Coldspring, TX

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 11

By Penny Uselton

TX Governor Rick

Perry:

“We need to be safe,

sane and responsible!”

Welcome to Texas where

a 1,000 new people are

coming a day.”

“You, manufacturers,

who are being demo-

nized, come on to Texas!”

Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator

from Texas:

“The Constitution” mat-

ters….ALL of it! You don’t

get to pick and choose

what suits you!”

“The Obama adminis-

tration is disregarding the

First, Fourth and Fifth

Amendments to The Con-

stitution. AND the Tenth

Amendment with Oba-

macare!”

“The Constitution pro-

vides the chains that bind

the government.”

“We must stay unified

in defending The Bill of

Rights!”

“The government is

trying to restrict it’ citi-

zen’s rights and law

abiders!”

“We will filibuster any-

thing that infringes on our

Fourth Amendment or

any of The Bill of Rights!”

“I will be glad to de-

bate, how to stop crime,

with Harry Reid anytime!”

John Bolton, former

U.S. Ambassador to the

United Nations:

“We are not spending

adequate time on security

and defense for our coun-

try!”

“The Obama Adminis-

tration has the “attention

span of a fruit fly!!

“Most people in

Boston wished they had

guns after the Boston

Marathon Bombing and

its aftermath.”

“Their(Obama and De-

mocrats) backup plan is

to try for the UN Arms

Treaty acceptance. Don’t

be fooled. It is a way to

share our sovereignty

and take our freedoms.

Domestic control will as-

suredly be decreased

and the UN will begin to

regulate us even more

than they have been able

to over recent years.”

Conservative RadioHost/Author; Mark Levin:

“The Second Amend-

ment was ratified to cur-

tail intruders and

government.”

“We have to be the win-

ners and stay on our

toes!”

“They are focused on

us not the criminals.”

“Whose prerogative is

it to decide what WE

NEED?”

The Honorable Jeanine

Pirro:

“Our government is Out

Of Whack!”

Rick Santorum:

“The media, and the gov-

ernment officials of the

Obama administration

are doing everything they

can to marginalize us.”

“You must understand

the battle. Be passionate

about your love of

country. We have

pop culture, the

media and elite insti-

tutions working against

us.”

“Do not let them con-

vince you or force you to

give up!”

“Conditional rights do

not come from our gov-

ernment. No! No!”

“We will only be lost if

we let ourselves be lost.

Remember our founding

fathers pledged their

lives, their fortunes and

their sacred honor. We

can do no less!”

“Our people stood up

when freedom was under

assault.”

“There is a tide mov-

ing to undermine our

freedoms. We stopped

them (with the gun legis-

lation) and must continue

to do so!”

Asa Hutchinson (Now

on the National Shield

Program to come up

with recommendations

to make schools safer):

“Teachers should

teach, others need to pro-

tect!”

Sarah Palin, former Gover-

nor of Alaska:

“Those gals (Feinstein,

Boxer, Fluke) won’t tell

you emotion politics is

manipulation by the politi-

cians for their own ends!”

“They are in it for

themselves!”

“Lame stream media”

“We are fighting the

good fight over who we

are; and what kind of

country we want.”

“Poodle skirted cheer-

leaders are often the

backdrop for obama ex-

ploitation!”

Wayne LaPierre, NRA

CEO:

“The government and

the media are marginaliz-

ing the Second Amend-

ment!”

“The media ignores

and demonizes lawful

gun owners in their blame

and shame campaign!”

“We want our unfet-

tered rights and I am sick

of distortions and lies dis-

regarding the FACTS!”

“Gun crime prosecu-

tion has decreased 30%

in Chicago and the city

has come in dead last

(compared to our other

cities)!”

“Only 44 out of 48,000

crimes with guns have

been prosecuted by the

Attorney General Eric

Holder’s office.” “It isn’t a

high priority for him.”

“$300,000,000 has

been cut in federal funds

for school security.”

Bobby Jindal, Governor

of Louisiana:

“I will take the side of

freedom every time!”

“I believe it is my duty

to defend fundamental

freedoms against any as-

sault to diminish our

rights!”

“I will not succumb to

giving up any of our

rights. Not now! Not

ever!”

“The administration (in

power now) can’t trust

Americans on anything!”

Our Favorite Commentary from the

NRA 2013 Convention in Houston, TX

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 12

Visit our website for our HOT Summer Specials!

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 13

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 14

“No maer how long your journey appears to be,there is never more than this: one step, one breath,one moment - Now." (Findhorn Retreat: StillnessAmidst The World)

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 14

May Specials at Skin TrendsDr. Monsalvez is now taking appointments

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May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 15

Houston, Texas - The

2nd Annual Springboard

South Music Festival

(SSMF) is pleased to an-

nounce it will be held Fri-

day, June 21 through

Sunday, June 23 at

Warehouse Live. Headlin-

ing artists confirmed for

the Urban Music lineup

on the festival's opening

night include Grammy-

nominated Rap/ Hip-Hop

legend Paul Wall as well

as Slim Thug. Independ-

ent artists on the bill who

will perform alongside the

featured artists include

Elle Gie, Miss Myi and

Soulfruit. More artists will

be announced soon filling

out a lineup that is slated

to include Pop, Rock,

Country, Latin, Singer-

Songwriter, Metal, Gospel

and Jazz genres.* The

event is a follow up to last

year's successful inaugu-

ral festival.

With more than 90

shows from 54 artists on

three stages, SSMF pro-

vides the general public

with live music while

mentoring and educating

the next great generation

of independent artists so

that they can move to the

next level. SSMF is

geared to "springboard"

today's talent and will

oversee 10 one-on-one

mentoring sessions for

the 26 official Spring-

board South artists cho-

sen to participate as well

as give them an opportu-

nity to present music to a

panel of music supervi-

sors. In addition to there

will be "emerging artists"

and "young performer"

slots to help build the

Springboard South artists

of the future.

The festival will pres-

ent these panels and

one-on-one sessions on

Thursday, June 20. Local

music business mentors

scheduled to provide indi-

vidualized advice to

artists are: legal experts

Al Staehely and Ricky

Anderson; social media

pioneers Nancy Byron

and Madalyn Sklar; music

licensing professional

Barry Coffing; producer

Preston Middleton; and

publicist, Ami Blackwell

as well as 20 other music

business experts.

"We are very excited

about the second install-

ment of Springboard

South where we will be

showcasing an incredibly

diverse group of artists in

almost every genre,"

stated Barry Coffing,

founder and creator. "We

are featuring great local

talent as well as other in-

dependent artists from

the south who will be

sharing the stage with

well-known artists to cre-

ate an event that should

be nothing short of amaz-

ing. I can't thank all of the

music business profes-

sionals and headlining

artists enough for donat-

ing their time and wisdom

to help this next genera-

tion of great artists."

This year's activities

will also serve as the

launch of the festival's

non-profit initiative Sus-

tainable Artists. Created

to help artists achieve a

balance between artistic

focus and economic real-

ity, this organization will

empower artists by in-

creasing their education,

networking and business

skills in order for them,

and the art they create, to

be self-sufficient. To

achieve their goals, Sus-

tainable Artists will as-

semble and utilize

resources from govern-

ment agencies, business

professionals, other non-

profit organizations and

educational Institutions.

In addition, SSMF will

benefit Fireseeds, an in-

terfaith organization that

finds and shares diverse

information and re-

sources to develop coop-

erative partnerships to

cultivate a global network

of independent, growth-

oriented community proj-

ects providing physical,

economic, and spiritual

aid.

Marketing, PR and

distribution efforts are

being provided by Hous-

ton's Voice, a community-

driven, local video and

interactive media network

dedicated to supporting

the creative efforts of the

personalities, businesses

and organizations that

make this city great. The

group is currently plan-

ning a red carpet/net-

working event for artists,

industry professionals

and media.

Additional sponsors

include WeGet Music,

UTN - The Urban Televi-

sion Network and Bose

Corporation's Live Music

Team.

General Admission

tickets for the Spring-

board South Music Festi-

val are $24.95 and are

available now online

through Front Gate Tick-

ets by visiting ware-

houselive.frontgatetickets

.com.

Warehouse Live is lo-

cated at 813 St Emanuel

Street, Houston, Texas

77003 and can be con-

tacted by phone at (713)

225-5483.

For more information,

and to stay up to date on

the latest news and per-

formances, please visit

http://www.springboard-

south.com.

2nd Annual Springboard South Music Festival Announces June Dates, Early Lineup

Warehouse Live to Host National Acts, One-On-One Music Business Mentoring

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 16

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 16

Do you love history?

Well, we’d love to have

your assistance! We

want to share the amaz-

ing history of the San

Jacinto County Old Jail

Museum with the public

and we need volunteers!

We are seeking adult

volunteers to give only

three hours of their time

on a rotating basis.

There are two shifts:

10am - 1pm and 1pm-

4pm on the 2nd or 4th

Saturday of each month.

Volunteers may occa-

sionally be asked to give

tours on additional days.

Training will be provided.

Our jail has provided

education and entertain-

ment for years, not to

mention it’s the best site

in the county for the Hal-

lowee Hay-Rides! Chil-

dren from all over our

area love to visit our

jail...as well as adults!

Interested parties should

contact either Barbara

Shelton at 713-628-2402

or Brenda Wiggins at

936-577-4204.

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 17

Historical SJC Jail Museum Needs a Few Good Volunteers!

The Dam Good Times

936.653.8788

news@thedamgoodtimes.com

www.thedamgoodtimes.com

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Publisher: Crystal Laramore

Editors: Cheryl Laramore, Connie Strong

Web Editor: Gigs of Knowledge

Sr. Account Executive: Liz Wilson

Photography: Crystal Laramore, Suzanne Murphy York, Mark

York, Keith Kerber, Joe Hubbard

Contributors: Connie Strong, Penny Uselton, Paula Garcia,

Laurie McMurrey, Suzanne MurphyYork, Deborah Martin,

Blake Kellum, Matt Bruner, Bob Bowman, Slim Randles,

Students and Staff of COCISD, LISD and OISD and friends of

The Dam Good Times© Copyrights, The Dam Good Times,

League City, Texas 2013

____________________________________________________

The Dam Good Times is a monthly, locally owned and

operated newspaper and is published by The Dam Good Times in

Coldspring, Houston & League City, TX. You can reach us by

mail at POB 911, Coldspring, TX 77331. Telephone number

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TDGT welcomes any comments or suggestions submitted in

writing to the paper. Any editorials or opinions used in this publi-

cation are those of the writers and in no way reflect the views and

opinions of The Dam Good Times.

TDGT is currently circulating 6000 copies throughout Texas

and 17 States by retail, subscriptions and occasional random dis-

tribution. Subscription rates are $40/year.

TDGT expects honest advertising standards from its patrons

and does not in any way take responsibility for false or

misleading advertisements.

All contents of The Dam Good Times are reserved and we pro-

hibit reproduction of the items without permission.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Dam Good

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May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 17

Commentary

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 18

By Matt Bruner

I had a conversation

recently about traffic pat-

terns, and how drivers’

courtesy differs from

place to place. I spent

most of my years of driv-

ing in the Atlanta, Geor-

gia area, and the traffic

there is pretty frantic.

Kelly worked eight miles

from our house and the

regular commute time

was over an hour each

way. The bad days were

much worse. In my early

days of driving, airline

workers thought nothing

of living on the north side

of Atlanta and driving to

the airport on the south

side to work. There was

even a condo develop-

ment north of town,

“Parkaire,” where pilots

could garage their private

planes. A person would

be pretty insane to sign

up for that daily drive now

– probably 2.5 hours or

more each way in rush

hour.

Research of Atlanta

traffic revealed a couple

of interesting facts. First,

when it is raining, people

drive on average five

miles-per-hour faster. Try

to find some logic in that.

Second, when the traffic

lights on the surface

roads fail and they all

flash red, traffic actually

moves better. I suppose

that would be a tempo-

rary effect – people would

probably start going in-

sane from the stress after

a few days.

Speaking of stress,

traffic IS stressful. When

we lived in Coldspring,

Texas (pop 900ish), I

rarely was in traffic. My

typical drives were to the

post office, where I en-

countered one traffic light

and maybe five cars, or

to Walmart with two traffic

lights and country roads

for 90 percent of the

drive. I told friends that a

cow wreck was more

likely than a car wreck. I

never saw two cars col-

lide, though I did see a

cow that was hit. My joke

became literally true.

When I travel back to

Atlanta, there is one inter-

section that particularly

intimidates me. Each di-

rection has two flow

lanes, a right turn lane

and two left turn lanes –

twenty lanes of traffic.

When at a rural intersec-

tion, we just stop, look

around and continue. At

an intersection with

twenty lanes, our brains

cannot process enough

information to really de-

termine if passing

through the intersection is

safe, if everyone is going

to behave. When that left

turn arrow turns green,

we go and just try to ig-

nore the hazard created

by the other ten lanes

that could hold an inat-

tentive driver and inter-

sect with our path. For

someone used to assess-

ing the risk, like this

country driver, it is pretty

scary. For the regular city

driver, we just go and

don’t think about it.

Despite the heavy traf-

fic, Atlanta drivers are

fairly courteous, not

counting those who are

insane and the road rage

perpetrators. Rural Texas

is amazing – people will

practically get out of their

pickup, set out orange

cones and hand you a

cup of coffee to let you in.

They always wave

thanks. A ma-

jority of drivers

will wave simply

when they pass

by you going

down the road.

Many times I

have seen a sin-

gle car stop to

let another car

turn or pass,

rather than con-

tinue, delay the

other driver all

of several sec-

onds, and lose a

chance to show

off their cour-

tesy to a stranger.

Tucson probably ranks

about 5 of 10 on the cour-

tesy scale. Eventually

someone will let you turn

from that parking area

onto the street, but you

might have to wait a

while. When you wave

thanks, they will NEVER

wave back. Well, one

did, but they had Texas

plates on the truck.

Urban southern California

is pretty insane. If there

is a spot ten inches

longer than a car length,

someone is going to jam

their car into it. They

likely will not signal their

intentions in any way, and

really don’t care if they

scare the hell out of you.

If you are waiting to pull

into the road, you just

look for the length-plus-

ten and go for it. If you

wait for an invitation, you

will wait a very long time.

I never got a chance to

see if waves of thanks

were returned.

I am not faulting any

region for their driving be-

havior. When the traffic

gets thick, courtesy cre-

ates hazards. One needs

to be as consistent and

predictable as possible.

For us used to the rural

driving, we just have to

adapt and not get our

feelings hurt.

Several years ago, we

had begun our move to

Texas, and I caught a

glimpse of what real driv-

ing courtesy meant. In

Atlanta, if the sign on the

expressway says “Left

lane closed – two miles,”

that means get in that left

lane and fly to get in front

of the crowd, and reck-

lessly merge right at the

last minute. We saw that

sign along the express-

way in Louisiana, along

with an orderly line of

cars in the right lanes,

and not one car in the left

lane for two miles.

We were amazed.

Texas TakesDriving with a Wave

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 18

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 19

By Penny Uselton

Events in Boston, the

District of Columbia,

along our Southern bor-

der and in the whole of

our country have left me

wondering what is going

on and why?

When discussing the

bombing in Boston (a

massacre?), the presi-

dent defined terrorism as

“every time a bomb is

used’. Unfortunately, he

and the government he

leads have the following

policies:

• Refusing to say

we are in a War On Ter-

ror and that the terrorists

are Muslims

• Refusing to profile

Muslims at airports

• Having policies

that allow Muslims to

come into the country in

droves

• Giving Saudi Ara-

bians the ok to come into

our country without re-

quiring visas

• Using the likes of

the Muslim Brotherhood

in this country as advi-

sors on our Middle East-

ern and Muslim policies

• Not allowing the

American people to hear

the full story on Benghazi

Why do we have

these policies? Have we

lost our minds?

Obama, Feinstein and

others of their ilk, made

an angry display of them-

selves after losing their

push to force a majority

of Senators to accept fur-

ther gun limits redefining

the 2nd Amendment as

they hoped to get greater

control of our Constitu-

tional rights to own guns.

Why aren’t they satisfied

to pursue those who

have broken the laws

with guns with the MANY

gun laws already on the

record?? Why aren’t

they getting to the bottom

of their “Fast and Furi-

ous” debacle? Certain

leaders in our govern-

ment made a decision to

pass out thousands of

guns to Mexican drug

hoodlums and failed to

keep track of them.

What were they thinking?

Another BAD policy!

Why do we have for-

mer Weather Under-

ground radical leftists

now “above ground”

teaching in some of our

prestigious universities?

Are we nuts? They have

NEVER stated their re-

gret for their infamous

leadership in the bomb-

ings of the Capitol, the

Pentagon, and a police

station; their compla-

cency in the murder of

two policemen and a se-

curity guard; their rabble

rousing against the

United States and in-

volvement in the Chicago

Riots of 1969 during the

Democratic Convention;

their declaration of war

against the United

States; their involvement

in kidnapping and bank

robberies! Their objec-

tive has been from the

“get go” to achieve a

classless society in the

USA, Communism and

the destruction of USA

imperialism. They have

NEVER changed their

beliefs and they are

teaching these beliefs in

some of our universities;

devising curriculum being

used in our schools (K-

12) because of their

“connections” in the lib-

eral, elite education cir-

cles. Bill Ayers is now an

adjunct professor at the

University of Illinois and

a visiting instructor at

Minnesota State. He de-

signs curriculum for pub-

lic schools; writes

educational theory

books; and is involved in

the CSCOPE curriculum

being used in many

school districts.

CSCOPE is under a fine

microscope now in Texas

because of charges of it

being Anti-Christian; Anti-

American (The Boston

Tea Party participants

were terrorists is one ex-

ample.); Pro-Islam les-

sons; and lessons

criticizing their parents

likened to “Hitler Youth

techniques.”

His wife, Bernadine

Dohran is an adjunct As-

sociate Professor at

Northwestern University

writing books about law;

but can’t get a license to

practice as she is a felon.

Their friend, Kathy

Boudin is an adjunct pro-

fessor at Columbia after

being released from

prison for murdering 2

policemen and a security

guard. What are these

faculties thinking?? Are

they thinking? Sooooo

our universities are hiring

these criminal- like indi-

viduals (unfortunately

only one went to prison)

in positions of influence

so they are able to fur-

ther their anti-American

ideas in OUR education

sphere.

Now we have Robert

Redford (not known for

his brilliant mind) coming

up with a movie, “Com-

pany You Keep,” lauding

these aforementioned

people. Should we won-

der why the state thinks

our children are not our

children; that we have

“Occupy Wall Street;”

and anti-American, anti-

capitalist sentiments

coming from the top,

Barack Obama, to the

bottom of our society,

who want “freebies” from

the rest of us? It is way

past time to take back

the schools we pay for

and get INVOLVED as

parents, as grandparents

and as taxpayers! Hat-

ing America; apologizing

for America; and pointing

out how bad the USA is,

has become common

place in too many of our

schools. We need to re-

turn to teaching values;

teaching in English;

teaching the 3 R’s; and

teaching truthful history

of our country with ac-

cess to “original” docu-

ments. Whether you

have a child or not in our

schools, you do have a

say. You are a taxpayer!

WHY?

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 19

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 20

Random Thoughts

By Crystal Laramore

Obama initially said

the Benghazi attacks

were a spontaneous

protest sparked by an

anti-Muslim film. Five

days later U.S. Ambassa-

dor to the UN, Susan

Rice, said the attacks

were not premeditated,

directly contradicting

other information directly

out of Benghazi and

Tripoli. Four day later,

Obama declined once

again to label the attacks

as terrorism, again refer-

ring to a make believe

video. On Sept 21 Sec-

retary Clinton finally re-

ferred to the attacks as

terrorism. On Sept 25,

Obama AGAIN blamed a

video.

On Sept 26 published

reports shows intel agen-

cies and the Obama

admin knew within 24

hours terrorists were in-

volved in the raid.

In October official emails

show the White House

and State Sept were ad-

vised two hours after the

attacks that terror group

Ansar Al-Sharia (an alias

of Al-Quaeda in the Ara-

bian Peninsula) had

claimed responsibility.

After diplomats in Tripoli

evacuated the next day,

mortars hit their building

and killed Glen Doherty

and Tyrone Woods.

In January secretary

of State, Hillary Clinton

testified before the Sen-

ate Relations CMTE on

Benghazi and in a heated

exchange with Senator

Ron Johnson (R-WI),

said, "Whether because

of a protest, or whether

because of guys out for a

walk one night and de-

cided they'd go kill some

Americans. What differ-

ence at this point does it

make?" Remember, she

knew all along this was a

pre-meditated terrorist at-

tack.

Hicks is the former

deputy chief of mission

for the U.S. in Libya.

Hicks became the top

U.S. diplomat in Libya

after Ambassador

Stevens died. He was on

the ground at the U. S.

Embassy in Tripoli when

the Benghazi attacks oc-

curred. Stevens called

Hicks in Tripoli the night

of September 11 and

said, "We are under at-

tack"

Hicks never reported a

"demonstration". He said

everyone at the mission

knew from the beginning

it was an attack. He also

said one of the most em-

barrassing days of his ca-

reer was the day Susan

Rice appeared on FIVE

talk shows giving false in-

formation on the attacks

in Benghazi.

He said the there were at

least 60 terrorists in the

compound at any given

moment.

The individuals, RSO's

and response teams re-

peatedly went back inside

the burning building to

save the ambassador

and Sean Smith. The

heroism of these individu-

als cannot be under-

stated. Petroleum based

fires emit enormous

amounts of cyanide gas.

One full breath of this is

enough to incapacitate

and kill a person.

Hicks said the evening

unravelled in several

phases. The 1st phase

was the inital phone calls

and the initial attacks.

The 2nd phase of the

attacks lasted from 11:30

pm to about 1:15 am.

Where was our Presi-

dent? Where was their

relief? Why were they

being told to stand down?

About 12:30 am there

were twitter feeds by

Ansar Al-sharia were re-

sponsible for the attacks

and there is also a call for

an attack on the U.S. Em-

bassy in Tripoli.

How on earth can we

expect young adults to

take responsibility for

their actions when the

PRESIDENT of the

United States of America

will not take responsibility

for his? Oh, but let’s not

stop there…Hillary Clin-

ton, the former SECRE-

TARY of DEFENSE is

lying and covering up the

events in Benghazi and

the media is helping in

the cover up!

This begs the ques-

tion, how much can an

administration get away

with, when the media

plays along in a cover-

up? Clearly, Hillary thinks

no one cares. It’s been a

long time since Benghazi.

It’s over. It’s done. Re-

ally? As the family mem-

bers of the men who died

mourn because OUR ad-

ministration does not

CARE enough to do their

JOB! Our administration

does not care enough to

protect the American peo-

ple…including the military

and the Presidents emis-

saries abroad.

If anyone out there

thinks that the Benghazi

fiasco was a protest due

to a movie instead of a

terroristic act, they have

lost their ever lovin’ minds

and have their heads in

the sands of the Middle

East. How CAN they

breathe??!!

According to Lt. Col.

Ralph Peters there is

enough evidence to con-

vict these leaders in a

civilian court of law.

President Obama, for-

mer Secretary Clinton,

James Carney, and

Susan Rice, among oth-

ers, are all guilty, of lying

to the American people at

the very least…at the

very most…well, people

ARE dead.

It doesn’t matter how

loud you shout, Hillary, or

how quick you try to list

your accomplishments,

Mr. Obama, wrong is

wrong. A SNAFU is a

SNAFU. Own it. Just

raise your hand and say

“My Bad!” Tell the

TRUTH for once! You

told countless agencies

and TRAINED ASSESTS

to “Stand Down” when

they were at the ready to

aid our soldiers and our

diplomats. YOU stand

down!

Tell the American Peo-

ple you just want the ti-

tles…not the JOBS! Just

the power and the money,

not the hard work and

sleepless nights…just the

book deals and the

swanky golf courses,

celebrity status, free con-

certs and free rides on Air

Force One…not the in-

tegrity of such a high of-

fice, not the responsibility

to be a role model…not

the intestinal fortitude of a

person who is called to

lead the greatest nation

on the planet! Tell us!

We can take it. Hell, we

already KNOW it!

But please DON’T

keep sitting there in THAT

chair ruining our young

adults as well as our

See Lies pg 31

Tell Me Lies Tell Me Sweet Lile Lies

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 20

By Slim Randles

When the Rafter E branded

recently, a bunch of us went

out to help. It's a badge of

pride to have worked your

way up the branding ladder.

As a kid, you flank the

calves; you grab them,

throw them and hold them

down. This is conducive to

abrasions, muscle strain,

and involuntarily changing

the color of your shirt.

As you get older, you get to

handle the branding iron,

then move up to giving

shots. After that comes ear-

marking. When you reach

the pinnacle of branding,

that is, when you own the

calves, then you get to rope

the calves and drag them

up to the fire.

It is a swirling cauldron of

heat and hooves, excited

cowdogs and bawling cows.

There is the smell of ma-

nure and singed hair and

sweat and corral dust.

At the Rafter E, I wielded a

syringe as the youngsters

got their teeth rattled by the

heavy stuff.

Wasn't the first time I’d

given the shots, though.

Once during a branding at

the Triangle Cross, I was

about to immunize a calf

when the calf jumped and I

stuck the needle into my

thumb.

Hurt like the dickens, of

course, but at least it was ef-

fective. I haven't had black

leg since.

Brought to you by your neighbors atWalgreens. Honest goods sold tohonest people by honest methods.www.walgreens.com

HOME COUNTRY

By Deborah K. Martin

Teachers. Good

teachers. Exceptional

teachers. We can’t possi-

bly pay them what they

are worth in dollars and

cents. We all owe them a

debt of gratitude. We can

all give them our respect.

Unfortunately not all

teachers are good teach-

ers and we remember

those people because

they should have been

doing anything else but

trying to influence young-

sters. There was the 3rd

grade teacher who belit-

tled me for my creative

English notebook cover.

It took years to recover

my native creative abili-

ties after that slight.

Shame on her.

Very fortunately for me

there have been those in-

spiring teachers who en-

couraged me to be my

best. One stands out in

my mind over the others.

His name is Anthony J.

Michalsky and he was the

Buna High School band

director for many years;

teaching hundreds of

youngsters a myriad of

things besides music.

How do I describe this

man? I’m almost at a

loss for words which is

distinctly strange for a

writer. Michalsky was

someone who com-

manded respect. He was

strict and could lose his

temper in a flash, espe-

cially if we were not doing

what he wanted us to do.

He was demanding in his

discipline. And the funny

thing was, we all wanted

to please him.

He expected a lot from

us and made us believe

we could do it. I came

into his band when I was

15 and had gone from

one home and family to

another. I was a little

confused and frankly,

kind of arrogant at first

because I had gone from

a large school and band

to a tiny school and a

band which met in a

wooden building. He saw

through me even though I

conveniently forgot sec-

tionals after school and

gave me a chance to re-

deem myself. Since I

was a pretty good musi-

cian I quickly moved up in

the ranks.

He expected a lot from

all of us and made us be-

lieve we could do it.

When I was 16 we were

getting ready for some-

thing called Solo and En-

semble Contest. I was to

play a solo on my clar-

inet. He handed me a

piece of music; the

Mozart Clarinet Concerto

and said, ‘Here, I want

you to play this.” Clue-

less, I said okay only to

learn years later that this

was a piece professionals

aspire to play. It was

probably a good thing I

didn’t know or I would

have been scared to try.

But Michalsky said I could

do it and I believed him.

He was like that. He as-

sumed you could stretch

even when he didn’t tell

you he thought it was a

stretch. He believed I

could do it and so I did.

He also took an inter-

est in us beyond the

Band Hall. He took a

couple of friends of mine

all the way from South-

east Texas to Dallas to

audition for band scholar-

ships at a university

known for its music de-

partment. The school

didn’t pay him to do that.

He wanted to and it was

on his dime, too!

These are not unusual

stories in his career. I

have no doubt others can

tell similar tales of believ-

ing, stretching and ac-

complishing things

because he be-

lieved in us.

That belief

lead us to

believe in

ourselves

and boy

did that carry

over into

the rest of our

lives. Thank you

Mr. Michalsky.

Good New GazeeLegacy

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 21

The Dam Good Timesis now HIRING Trained Sales Profes-

sionals, who want to lead a team, forthe Clear Lake/League

City/Friendswood Area. Send Resumeto news@thedamgoodtimes.com or

mail it to POB 911 Coldspring, TX 77331

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 21

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 22

World & Local

By Ken Klukowsk, BreitbartNews legal columnist

Those words were re-

cently written by Mikey

Weinstein, founder of the

Military Religious Free-

dom Foundation (MRFF),

in a column he wrote for

the Huffington Post. We-

instein will be a consult-

ant to the Pentagon to

develop new policies on

religious tolerance, in-

cluding a policy for court-

martialing military

chaplains who share the

Christian Gospel during

spiritual counseling of

American troops.

Weinstein decries

what he calls the “virulent

religious oppression” per-

petrated by conservative

Christians, whom he

refers to as “monstrosi-

ties” and “pitiable uncon-

stitutional

carpetbaggers,” compar-

ing them to “bigots” in the

Deep South during the

civil rights era.

He cites Dr. James

Dobson—the famous

Christian founder of

Focus on the Family—as

“illustrating the extremist,

militant nature of these

virulently homophobic or-

ganizations’ rhetorically-

charged propaganda.”

Regarding those who

teach orthodox Christian

beliefs from the Bible,

Weinstein concludes,

“Let’s call these ignoble

actions what they are: the

senseless and cowardly

squallings of human mon-

sters.”

Weinstein then en-

dorses the ultra-left

Southern Poverty Law

Center (SPLC), who pub-

lishes a list of “hate

groups.” Alongside truly

deplorable organizations

like the KKK, the SPLC’s

list includes a host of tra-

ditional Christian organi-

zations (for their support

of traditional marriage)

and Tea Party organiza-

tions (for supporting lim-

ited government).

Weinstein says SPLC

correctly labels them all

as “hate groups.”

Floyd Lee Corkins—

the first person ever con-

victed of domestic

terrorism in federal court

under the laws of Wash-

ington, D.C.—told the FBI

that he chose his in-

tended shooting spree

targets from the SPLC

website's map. Corkins

was arrested at the of-

fices of the Family Re-

search Council (FRC)

after shooting a security

guard in August 2012. His

court documents state

that Corkins intended to

kill as many people as

possible.

Weinstein also sup-

ports Lt. Col. Jack Rich,

the Army officer who

wrote to subordinate offi-

cers that soldiers who

hold traditional Christian

beliefs agreeing with or-

ganizations on SPLC’s

“hate group” list are in-

compatible with “Army

values" and should be

carefully watched and ex-

cluded from military serv-

ice.

According to Wein-

stein, “We should as a

nation effusively applaud

Lt. Col. Rich.” He adds

that the nation should

“venture further” than

Rich’s recommendations,

saying, “We MUST vigor-

ously support the continu-

ing efforts to expose

pathologically anti-gay, Is-

lamaphobic, and rabidly

intolerant agitators for

what they are: die-hard

enemies of the United

States Constitution. Mon-

sters, one and all. To do

anything less would be to

roll out a red carpet to

those who would usher in

a blood-drenched, dra-

conian era of persecu-

tions, nationalistic

militarism, and supersti-

tious theocracy.”

Many media outlets

are silent on this disturb-

ing new alliance between

fanatical secularists and

leaders in the Pentagon

appointed by President

Barack Obama and Sec-

retary Chuck Hagel,

under which the U.S. mili-

tary would officially con-

sult with someone with

such foaming-at-the-

mouth passionate hostil-

ity toward traditional

Christians, including

Evangelicals and devout

Catholics. The military—

America’s most heroic

and noble institution—in-

cludes countless people

of faith, and this repre-

sents a radical departure

from the U.S. military’s

warm embrace of people

of faith in its ranks.

Yet the little coverage

this story is getting is

positive, such as this

Washington Post column

that somehow manages

not to carry any of these

frightening quotes from

Weinstein and instead ac-

tually endorses the Pen-

tagon’s meeting with him.

Sally Quinn’s Post col-

umn also approvingly

quotes MRFF Advisory

Board member Larry

Wilkerson as saying,

“Sexual assault and pros-

elytizing, according to

Wilkerson, ‘are absolutely

destructive of the bonds

that keep soldiers to-

gether.’”

Did you get that? They

say having someone

share the Christian

gospel with you is akin to

being raped. Weinstein

makes sure there are no

doubts, being quoted by

the Post as adding, “This

is a national security

threat. What is happening

[aside from sexual as-

sault] is spiritual rape.

And what the Pentagon

needs is to understand is

that it is sedition and trea-

son. It should be pun-

ished.”

Another MRFF Advi-

sory Board member, Am-

bassador Joe Wilson (the

far-left husband of CIA

employee Valerie Plame

from the Iraq War’s yel-

low-cake uranium scan-

dal a decade ago), said a

military chaplain “is to

minister to spiritual

needs. You don’t prosely-

tize. It’s a workplace vio-

lation.”

In other words, it

should be the official pol-

icy of the United States to

decree what a human

being’s spiritual needs

are, and punish for viola-

tions a military officer who

is an ordained clergyman

who attempts to share his

own personal faith with

another service member

when discussing religious

matters. You cannot

imagine such a thing ever

happening under any pre-

vious president.

Weinstein goes on:

If these fundamentalist

Christian monsters of

human degradation …

and tyranny cannot bro

ker or barter your acceptSee Twisted Christians pg 27

“Today, we face incredibly well-funded gangs of fundamentalist Christian monsters who

terrorize their fellow Americans by forcing their weaponized and twisted version of

Christianity upon their helpless subordinates in our nation’s armed forces.”

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 22

Washington, DC – The

Internal Revenue Service

is telling its employees to

be prepared for the

agency to shut down for

at least five Fridays be-

tween May and August.

IRS Acting Commissioner

Steve Miller sent a memo

to employees stating that

every worker would be

furloughed for at least five

days and the dates cho-

sen so far are May 24

(the Friday before Memo-

rial Day), June 14 (Flag

Day), July 5, July 22 and

Aug. 30 (the Friday be-

fore Labor Day) with two

additional days possible

in August or September.

“Rather than stagger-

ing the furlough days so

that someone at the IRS

is always there to assist

taxpayers every working

day, the President has

once again decided to in-

flict the maximum amount

of pain on Americans via

the modest sequester

cuts he came up with last

year,” stated Congress-

man Kevin Brady of

Texas, a senior Republi-

can member of the House

Ways and Means Com-

mittee, which has over-

sight of the IRS. During

these days, all public-IRS

operations will be shut

down, including toll-free

numbers, and local Tax-

payer Assistance Cen-

ters. "When small

business owners have

questions about payroll

taxes or a family is won-

dering where their refund

check is, someone needs

to be on the other end

of the telephone to an-

swer those questions.”

While some taxpay-

ers may be hoping this

means fewer audits,

Brady noted that acting

IRS Commissioner Miller

testified in the House ear-

lier this month that he ex-

pects collection of tax

revenues to drop consid-

erably and taxpayer calls

to go unanswered.

“Sadly, this is more politi-

cal stunting from this

White House, which re-

fuses to believe this

bloated federal govern-

ment can take even a two

cent cut in spending. Tell

that to families who

haven’t seen their income

increase, though their tax

burdens at the local, state

and federal levels cer-

tainly have.”

Washington- Texas Con-

gressman Kevin Brady

has teamed up with a bi-

partisan group of over 45

lawmakers to force the

Federal Aviation Adminis-

tration (FAA) to uphold its

responsibility for operat-

ing local contract air traf-

fic control towers.

The Air Traffic Control

Tower Funding Restora-

tion Act reverses the

FAA’s political decision to

close 149 contract tow-

ers, including Conroe’s

Lone Star Airport. The

money to keep the tow-

ers open will be trans-

ferred from unused

funding sitting idle in

other accounts within the

agency.

"This measure has

one simple goal--- to

force the FAA to stop

playing politics with our

local airports and to put a

priority on air safety,”

said Brady. "We didn’t

have to dig very far to

find idle funds from years

past that would be better

spent on the local tow-

ers.”

Under the modest se-

quester savings, the FAA

was told to cut 5% from a

budget which has in-

creased 40% since 2001.

Instead of cutting waste,

the FAA chose to close

contract towers and send

air traffic controllers

home on furloughs.

Obama’s IRS Furloughs Designed to

Inconvenience TaxpayersBrady asks, ‘Who will be there for the taxpayers?’

Brady Acts to Prioritize Funding

for Local Airport TowersNew House Bill to "force the FAA to stop

playing politics” with Local Airports

Washington, D.C. – Rep-

resentative Kevin Brady

(R-TX), Chairman of the

Joint Economic Commit-

tee, commented on

today’s report from the

Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS) that the economy

created an additional

176,000 private sector

jobs in April and that the

unemployment rate de-

clined by 0.1 percentage

point to 7.5%.

“Today’s jobs report

clearly exceeded the ex-

pectations of most eco-

nomic forecasters. Let’s

hope this is the beginning

of a trend. Even with

today’s report this recov-

ery has still produced 4.1

million fewer private sec-

tor jobs than the average

of other post-World War II

recoveries,” Brady said.

Brady continued, “Even

the White House admits

America’s unemployment

rate may not return to its

pre-recession level for

another decade. Clearly

the anemic economic

growth of this recovery -

particularly the lack of

strong business invest-

ment in buildings, equip-

ment and software – isn’t

sufficient to accelerate

private sector job growth.”

Brady cautioned that

today’s report “May turn

into another false signal

that the labor market is

improving. We’ve seen

this before. I hope what

some have referred to as

green shoots in the past

don’t turn out to be an-

other crop of weeds.”

Better than Expected Jobs Report, but Jobs Gap Remains at Over 4 Million

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 23

Last Month’s Answers

Crossword PuzzleAcross

1. Limited in

size or scope

6. Zeal

10. Desiccated

14. Kind of fairy

15. Stem of a

tree

16. Impersonate

17. Assumed

name

18. Item of

footwear

19. Compass di-

rection

20. Withstand

22. Nocturnal in-

sect

24. Litigate

25. Helot

27. Blandish

29. Relating to

heraldry

33. Epoch

34. Precipitation

35. Similar or

related

37. Three note

major or minor

chord

41. Lodge

42. Large inter-

nal organ

44. Singing pair

45. Mix up or

confuse

48. Rend

49. Portable

shelter

50. Fuss

52. Embellish

54. Evil spirit

(folklore)

58. Uncommon

59. Frozen

water

60. Utter

62. Pale

66. Disposed of

to a purchaser

68. Quality of

voice

70. Near

71. Large

woody plant

72. Tournament

for amateurs

and profession-

als

73. Tightly

twisted cotton

thread

74. Afresh

75. Tall woody

perennial grass

76. Organic

compound

Down

1. Box lightly

2. 1,760 yards

3. Center point

of rotation

4. Communica-

tion channel

5. Smaller in

size, amount

or value

6. Flow out

7. Textile ma-

chine for

weaving yarn

8. Remote in

manner

9. Stinging plant

10. Simian

11. Cook with

dry heat

12. Publish

13. Discourage

21. Test

23. Male red

deer

26. Holy person

28. Mariner

29. Song for

solo voice

30. Currency of

South Africa

31. Psyche

32. Ashen

36. Not at any

time

38. Notion

39. Female rela-

tive

40. Shower with

love

43. Summarize

briefly

46. Circuit

47. Redact

49. Latticework

51. Public

speaker

53. Seer

54. Panorama

55. Fruit of the

oak

56. Noisy ri-

otous fight

57. Run off se-

cretly to

marry

61. Leg joint

63. Geographi-

cally

disoriented

64. Small island

65. Cervid

67. Condensa-

tion

69. Finish

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 24

The U.S. economy hit

a new milestone in the

first quarter of 2013: An-

nual output of goods and

services eclipsed $16 tril-

lion. The 2.5% growth

pace in GDP through

March seems like a wild

night on the town after

the 0.4% slog at the end

of 2012.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that this

recovery is still half the

pace of the normal ex-

pansion. The Joint Eco-

nomic Committee reports

that if the economy had

grown at the typical pace

coming out of recession,

at this stage GDP would

be closer to $17.4 trillion.

This $1.4 trillion growth

deficit is roughly the size

of the combined annual

production of Michigan,

Ohio and Pennsylvania in

2011.

Consumer spending

drove about 90% of the

GDP growth in the quar-

ter with an assist from a

long-delayed but robust

housing recovery (12.6%

in the last quarter on top

of 12.1% growth in 2012).

One disappointment was

the humdrum 2.1% pace

of business spending on

plant, machinery and

computers. Business

spending is one of the

best predictors of future

hiring and wage in-

creases, so this suggests

continued tough times for

workers ahead.

The national income

data, also released on

Friday, explain a lot about

the initial impact of the

tax increases that hit in

January. By the middle of

last year, the White

House made it known

that it would insist on let-

ting the Bush era tax cuts

on dividends, capital

gains and personal in-

come rise for individuals

earning more than

$200,000. The health-

care law also raised pay-

roll taxes by another

0.9% on higher income

earners, on top of the

two-percentage-point in-

crease that hit all wage

earners.

The result seems to

have been one of the

largest shifts in the timing

of income in American

history. From the third to

the fourth quarter of

2012, personal income

soared by $262 billion de-

spite anemic 0.4% GDP

growth. Then in the first

three months of 2013 in-

comes fell $109 billion.

Some of the first quar-

ter's decline in personal

income (about $30 billion)

was due to the expiration

of the payroll tax holiday

in January. But individu-

als and businesses

clearly accelerated in-

come into 2012 to evade

the higher tax rates arriv-

ing in 2013.

This effect is evident

in reported dividend in-

come. That figure rose to

$862 billion in 2012's

fourth quarter as many

corporations cut special

dividends at the end of

the year to pay the expir-

ing 15% dividend tax

rate. In the first three

months of this year, divi-

dends fell to $740 billion

even as the tax rate rose

to 23.8%. Those who

claim that taxes don't af-

fect behavior should ex-

plain that one.

The dividend and per-

sonal income windfall

from late last year may

partly explain the healthy

increase in consumer

spending in January and

February despite the big

payroll-tax increase. Con-

sumer spending wasn't

as robust in March, and

the longer-term worry is

that higher tax rates on

business and investment

income will dampen eco-

nomic activity and fund-

ing for new enterprises.

It's been 15 quarters

since the economy hit its

recession trough in June

2009. The growth rate (on

an annual basis) has

since averaged 2.1%, or

half the 4.4% average

rate of the past nine re-

coveries. The Reagan ex-

pansion averaged 5.3%

through the same 15

quarters, according to the

Joint Economic Commit-

tee. The current expan-

sion's subpar growth

performance explains

why unemployment re-

mains so stubbornly high

and median household

incomes after inflation are

nearly $3,000 below

where they were when

the recession ended.

The White House was

quick to blame the spend-

ing sequester for deter-

ring faster growth. Chief

White House economist

Alan Krueger warned that

the sequester's "arbitrary

and unnecessary cuts to

government services will

be a headwind in the

months to come, and will

cut key investments in

the nation's future com-

petitiveness."

The reality is that gov-

ernment spending did de-

cline by 4.1% in the

quarter, and this shaved

0.8% off a GDP calcula-

tion that counts govern-

ment spending as a plus

no matter what it is spent

on. But 75% of those fed-

eral cuts were in defense,

which the White House

wants to cut. When de-

fense spending fell during

the 1990s, GDP still rose

at a faster pace because

private growth was so

much stronger.

What we are experi-

encing now is not some

"austerity" shock but a

slow downward adjust-

ment in government

spending to a still high

22.7% of GDP from the

unprecedented high of

President's Obama's first

term average of 24%.

Those spending levels

weren't sustainable, un-

less you want to send

federal debt as a share of

GDP even higher than

the 76.6% it is expected

to reach this year.

We are now in year

five of what has been one

of the great experiments

in Keynesian economic

policy. We were told that

See Deficit Page 27

The Growth Deficit

A modest first-quarter rebound, but not enough to lift the middle class

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 25

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 26

Sent in By Penny Uselton

--- In case you haven't

heard about this guy be-

fore, his name will stick in

your mind!

The new Maine Gov-

ernor, Paul LePage is

making New Jersey 's

Chris Christie look like an

enabler. He isn't afraid to

say what he thinks. Judg-

ing by the comments,

every time he opens his

mouth, his popularity

goes up.

He brought down the

house at his inauguration

when he shook his fist to-

ward the media box and

said, "You're on notice!

I've inherited a financially

troubled State to run. Ob-

serve...cover what we

do...but don't whine if I

don't waste time respond-

ing to your every whim

just for your amusement."

During his campaign

for Governor, he was talk-

ing to commercial fisher-

men who are struggling

because of federal fish-

eries rules. They com-

plained that 0bama

brought his family to Bar

Harbor and Acadia Na-

tional Park for a long

Labor Day holiday and

found time to meet with

union leaders, but would-

n't talk to the fishermen.

LePage replied, "I'd tell

him to go to hell and get

out of my State." The

Lame Stream Media cru-

cified LePage, but he

jumped 6 points in the

pre-election poll.

The Martin Luther

King incident was a politi-

cal sandbag, which

brought him National ex-

posure. The 'lame stream'

media crucified him, but

word on the street is very

positive. The NAACP

specifically asked LeP-

age to spend MLK Day

visiting black inmates at

the Maine State Prison.

He told them that he

would meet with ALL in-

mates, regardless of

race, if he were to visit

the prison. The NAACP

balked and then put out a

news release claiming

falsely that he refused to

participate in any MLK

events. He read it in the

paper for the 1st time the

next morning while being

driven to an event and

went ballistic because

none of the reporters had

called him for comment

before running the

NAACP release.

He arrived at that

event & said in front of a

TV camera, "If they want

to play the race card on

me they can kiss my

ass", and he reminded

them that he has an

adopted black son from

Jamaica and that he at-

tended the local MLK

Breakfast every year that

he was mayor of Water-

ville. (He started his

morning there on MLK

Day.)

He then stated that

there's a right way and a

wrong way to meet with

the Governor, and he put

all special interests on

notice that press re-

leases, media leaks, and

all demonstrations would

prove to be the wrong

way. He said any other

group, which acted like

the NAACP could expect

to be at the bottom of the

Governor's priority list!

He then did the follow-

ing, and judging from

local radio talk show

callers, his popularity in-

creased even more: The

State employees union

complained because he

waited until 3 P.M. before

closing State offices and

facilities and sending

non-emergency person-

nel home during the last

blizzard. The prior Gover-

nor would often close of-

fices for the day with just

a forecast before the first

flakes. (Each time the

State closes for snow, it

costs the taxpayers about

$1 million in wages for no

work in return.)

LePage was CEO of

the Marden's chain of dis-

count family bargain retail

stores before election as

governor. He noted that

State employees getting

off work early could still

find lots of retail stores

open to shop. So, he put

the State employees on

notice by announcing: "If

Marden's is open, Maine

is open!"

He told State employ-

ees: "We live in Maine in

the winter, for heaven's

sake, and should know

how to drive in it. Other-

wise, apply for a State job

in Florida !"

Governor LePage

symbolizes what America

needs; Refreshing politi-

cians who aren't self-

serving and who exhibit

common sense.

THE LAW IS THE LAW!

I really love this one.

HERE IS WHAT Gover-

nor LaPage said,

"THE LAW IS THE

LAW So "if" the US gov-

ernment determines that

it is against the law for

the words "under God" to

be on our money, then,

so be it.

And "if" that same gov-

ernment decides that the

"Ten Commandments"

are not to be used in or

on a government installa-

tion, then, so be it.

I say, "so be it," be-

cause I would like to be a

law abiding US citizen

I say, "so be it," be-

cause I would like to think

that smarter people than I

are in positions to make

good decisions.

I would like to think

that those people have

the American public's

best interests at heart.

BUT, he said, "YOU

KNOW WHAT ELSE I'D

LIKE?

Since we can't pray to

God, can't Trust in God

and cannot post His

Commandments in Gov-

ernment buildings, I don't

believe Government

(Federal, State and

Local) and its employees

should participate in

Easter and Christmas

celebrations which honor

the God that our govern-

ment is eliminating from

many facets of American

life.

I'd like my mail deliv-

ered on Christmas, Good

Friday, Thanksgiving &

Easter. After all, it's just

another day.

I'd like the" US

Supreme Court to be in

session on Christmas,

Good Friday, Thanksgiv-

ing & Easter as well as

Sundays." After all, it's

just another day.

I'd like the Senate and

the House of Representa-

tives to not have to worry

about getting home for

the "Christmas Break."

After all it's just another

day.

I'm thinking a lot of my

taxpayer dollars could be

saved, if all government

offices & services would

work on Christmas, Good

Friday & Easter. It

shouldn't cost any over-

time since those would

be just like any other day

of the week to a govern-

ment that is trying to be

"politically correct."

In fact....I think our

government should work

on Sundays (initially set

aside for worshipping

God....) because, after

all, our government says

that it should be just an-

other day...."

Meet Maine 's New Governor

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 26

Deficit

if Congress would

spend

$830 billion more tem-

porarily, and the Fed-

eral Reserve would

unleash monetary pol-

icy, a recovery would

begin and rapid growth

would resume. Larry

Summers, Alan

Krueger, Jared Bern-

stein and their allies on

Wall Street got their pol-

icy wishes. Their econ-

omy has delivered

mediocre growth and

declining middle-class

incomes—though we

will concede that the

wealthy have done well

as the stock market has

recovered.

So now the same

Keynesians say the

spending blowout was-

n't large or long

enough, taxes still

aren't high enough, and

monetary policy hasn't

been easy enough.

What this economy re-

ally needs is a statute

of limitations on intellec-

tual denial.

A version of this arti-

cle appeared April 27,

2013, on page A12 in

the U.S. edition of The

Wall Street Journal,

with the headline: The

Growth Deficit.

Twisted Christians

ance of their putrid the-

ology, then they crave

for your universal si-

lence in the face of their

rapacious reign of theo-

cratic terror. Indeed,

they ceaselessly lust,

ache, and pine for you

to do absolutely nothing

to thwart their oppres-

sion. Comply, my

friends, and you be-

come as monstrously

savage as are they. I

beg you, do not feed

these hideous monsters

with your stoic lethargy,

callousness and neu-

trality. Do not lubricate

the path of their racism,

bigotry, and prejudice.

Doing so directly threat-

ens the national secu-

rity of our beautiful

nation.

God help us now

when someone with

such visceral hatred of

conservative Chris-

tians—literally tens of

millions of Americans—

who says sharing this

gospel is “spiritual rape”

is helping develop poli-

cies for how to deal with

Christians in the mili-

tary.

Weinstein says

those guilty of this “trea-

son” must be “pun-

ished.” Under federal

law, the penalty for trea-

son is death. And the

Obama administration

is sitting down to talk

with this man to craft

new policies for “reli-

gious tolerance” in our

military.

By Elise Viebeck

Republicans intro-

duced a bill Friday in re-

sponse to allegations that

top congressional officials

are seeking to exempt

Capitol Hill from Oba-

maCare's health insur-

ance exchanges.

The measure from

Ways and Means Com-

mittee Chairman Dave

Camp (R-Mich.) would re-

quire that all federal em-

ployees — including the

president, vice president

and Cabinet members —

purchase coverage

through the market-

places.

"If the ObamaCare ex-

changes are good

enough for the hardwork-

ing Americans and small

businesses the law

claims to help, then they

should be good enough

for the president, vice

president, Congress, and

federal employees,"

Camp spokeswoman

Sarah Swinehart said in a

statement.

"While the majority of

Americans oppose this

law, we can all agree that

it is only fair that our

elected officials follow the

same rules as everyone

else," she said.

Republicans spent

Thursday hammering De-

mocrats after Politico re-

ported that top leaders

were engaged in talks to

exempt themselves and

their staffs from using the

exchanges as mandated

by law.

Democrats flatly de-

nied the allegations and

said they would not sup-

port an exemption if it

were proposed.

“There are not now,

have never been, nor will

there ever be any discus-

sions about exempting

members of Congress or

congressional staff from

Affordable Care Act provi-

sions that apply to any

employees of any other

public or private employer

offering healthcare,” said

Adam Jentleson,

spokesman for Senate

Majority Leader Harry

Reid (D-Nev.).

Camp's bill would

amend the Affordable

Care Act to require that

all federal employees ex-

cept active-duty military

and postal workers buy

coverage on the ex-

changes. The require-

ment currently applies

only to Congress and its

staff.

The bill was co-spon-

sored by Ways and

Means Health subcom-

mittee Chairman Kevin

Brady (R-Texas) and

Reps. Sam Johnson (R-

Texas), Devin Nunes (R-

Calif.), Charles Boustany

(R-La.), and Aaron

Schock (R-Ill.).

GOP Bill Hits Alleged ObamaCare

Exemption Talks

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 27

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 27

"All vets are mentally ill and government should

prevent them from owning firearms." Dianne Feinstein

Rebuttle: "Frankly, I don't know what it is about California, but we seem to have a

strange urge to elect really obnoxious women to high office.

I'm not bragging, you understand, but no other state, including Maine, even

comes close. When it comes to sending left-wing dingbatsto Washington, we're

Number One. There's no getting around the fact that the last time anyone saw the

likes of Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Maxine Waters, and Nancy Pelosi, they

were stirring a cauldron when the curtain went up on 'Macbeth'. The four of them

are like jackasses who happen to possess the gift of blab. You don't know if you

should condemn them for their stupidity or simply marvel at their ability to form

words."

- - Columnist Burt Prelutsky, Los Angeles Times

Washington, D.C. –

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-

TX), Chairman of the

Joint Economic Commit-

tee, commented on

today’s report from the

Bureau of Economic

Analysis that real gross

domestic product (GDP)

increased at an annual

rate of 2.5% during the

1st-quarter 2013.

“Growth in the first

quarter was weaker than

expected in large part

because of a decline in

the growth rate of busi-

ness investment in new

buildings, equipment,

and software. Without

strong business invest-

ment, millions of Ameri-

cans will remain

unemployed,” Brady

said.

“The good news is

that our economy grew

at an annual rate of

2.5% during the 1st-

quarter of this year. The

bad news is that even at

this rate, the economy

may never get back to

the growth of an average

recovery. In fact, we

would end the decade

with an even larger

growth gap than we al-

ready have,” Brady said.

“Even with the econ-

omy growing at an an-

nual rate of 2.5% in the

first quarter, the growth

gap in real GDP com-

pared to other post-

World War II recoveries

stands at $1.2 trillion.

The annualized growth

rate during this recovery

remains an anemic 2.1%

over 15 quarters com-

pared with the average

of 4.4% during other re-

coveries over the same

period.”

Brady noted that,

“The bounce back in

today’s report also re-

flects an artificially de-

pressed fourth quarter

report driven by a shift of

defense spending from

the fourth quarter into

third quarter of 2012.

Without that shift,

today’s report would

have shown real GDP in-

creasing by only 1.9%.”

An analysis* by the

Joint Economic Commit-

tee staff found that ab-

sent the shift of those

expenditures, third quar-

ter 2012 real GDP would

have grown at a rate of

2.5% instead of the re-

ported 3.1% and fourth

quarter 2012 real GDP

would have grown at a

rate of 1.6% instead of

the reported 0.4%.

“If we want to get

Americans back to work,

we must get government

out of the way of our free

enterprise system. We

must put our fiscal

house in order by reduc-

ing federal spending rel-

ative to the size of the

economy and getting the

Federal Reserve out of

the business of allocat-

ing credit. We must

enact pro-growth tax re-

form and eliminate un-

necessary regulations

that hamper innovation

and job creation,” Brady

concluded.

Washington, D.C. –

Texas State Senator

Tommy Williams, chair-

man of the Senate Fi-

nance Committee, will

testify today at a House

Ways & Means Human

Resources Subcommittee

hearing in support of al-

lowing states to require

drug screening as a con-

dition for receiving unem-

ployment benefits.

U.S. Congressman

Kevin Brady of Texas,

who helped successfully

remove a 40-year federal

ban on drug screening

and testing unemploy-

ment recipients and allow

for the first ever pro-work

program waivers during

last year’s negotiations

on extending federal un-

employment benefits, will

join Williams at the hear-

ing. Senator Williams has

moved bipartisan legisla-

tion through the State

Senate in Austin, which

would require drug

screening for some indi-

viduals receiving unem-

ployment benefits – a

move that Brady strongly

supports.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t

subsidize drug use. If

you’re on drugs, you’re

not job ready,” said Brady,

who leads the Health

Subcommittee in Con-

gress. “I applaud the

leadership of Senator

Williams, and we will con-

tinue to push the White

House to follow the law

and issue regulations on

drug testing so that states

like Texas can implement

the law.”

Brady is also a strong

advocate of the waiver

policy and encouraged

Texas state officials to

apply for one of ten fed-

eral waivers under the

pilot program. Subse-

quently, their initial appli-

cation was denied by the

Department of Labor

(DOL), citing a lack of

guidelines at the time.

Today’s appearance by

Brady at the hearing will

be his second. Last year,

after DOL finally issued

application guidelines, he

appeared to question

DOL’s Assistant Secre-

tary Jane Oates about the

lengthy requirements in-

cluded in the guidelines,

which have since com-

pletely stifled all interest

in the waiver policy.

When questioned last

year about what would

happen if no state applied

for a waiver, DOL’s re-

sponded by saying that

“after a few months” they

would “go back to the

drawing board” if the pro-

gram did not move for-

ward. Brady claims the

agency continues to

needlessly stall.

“Texas has already

been recognized by the

White House for their in-

novative ways to get Tex-

ans back to work. But

again, the White House

needs to apply the law

and allow states like

Texas to continue that in-

novation when it comes

to getting the unemployed

back to work making

good wages rather than

collecting benefit checks.”

Better, But Not Good Enough“Economic growth remains tepid due to

weak business investment,” says Brady

Drug Testing for Unemployment: Texas State Senator

Tommy Williams Testifies before U.S. House Ways and

Means PanelWilliams joins Congressman Brady in support of drug screening as

condition for unemployment compensation

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 28

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 29

Washington, DC – The

Department of Trans-

portation announced late

Thursday that Air Traffic

Controller furloughs and

runway closings will

begin on Sunday, be-

cause they have “done

everything to find a bil-

lion dollars.”

“They want you to

wait at the gate while

they hold press confer-

ences to convince you

there is no possible way

this government can

save some of your hard-

earned tax dollars,” said

Texas Congressman

Kevin Brady. “The truth

of the matter is that in-

stead of cutting consult-

ants, conferences,

executive travel and staff

parties out of their rapidly

growing budget, they

made a cynical, political

decision to close run-

ways and send air traffic

controllers home. Why?

So fliers will feel maxi-

mum pain over these

minor sequester sav-

ings.”

“How does this -- or

the President’s recent

budget proposal’s un-

precedented number of

higher aviation taxes and

fees – make our skies

safer?” asked Brady who

says the White House

could direct the FAA to

cut wasteful spending in-

stead of putting families

and business travelers in

an unnecessary holding

pattern.

Washington, DC – Ahead

of an expected late sum-

mer showdown on the

debt ceiling, on Wednes-

day the U.S. House Ways

and Means Committee

will consider legislation to

direct the U.S. Treasury

to make all federal debt

payments and interest, in-

cluding guaranteeing that

Social Security benefits

are paid in full, if the debt

ceiling is not raised in Au-

gust. The Full Faith and

Credit Act is introduced

by Republican Congress-

man Tom McClintock of

California.

“This assures in-

vestors that America will

make good on its debt

while focusing Washing-

ton on the true problem –

the real risk of another

downgrade of America’s

credit rating if the Presi-

dent and Congress don’t

take sensible, credible

steps to save Social Se-

curity and Medicare for

the long term,” says U.S.

Congressman Kevin

Brady of Texas, a senior

member of the commit-

tee, who supports the bill.

The federal govern-

ment is generating more

taxes and revenue than at

any time since 2007,

notes Brady, “so there is

plenty of money to pay

the debt if the ceiling is

not raised on time. A de-

fault would raise interest

rates and likely push

America back into a dou-

ble-dip recession.”

Brady says he is most

concerned about avoiding

a second downgrade of

America’s credit rating.

“Let’s take default off

the table so the President

and Congress can’t hide

any longer from the seri-

ous financial problems

facing Medicare and So-

cial Security,” concluded

Brady. “We’ve got to act

now, together, to preserve

these important programs

for the long haul or risk a

second downgrade of

America’s credit – which

will increase the nation’s

deficits and make credit

more expensive for fami-

lies, small businesses

and local governments.”

Washington, DC –

Today, the U.S. House of

Representatives passed

legislation to protect

America’s business com-

puter infrastructure from

cyber attacks as coun-

tries like China continue

to attempt to infiltrate

U.S. networks to steal

trade secrets and per-

sonal information.

The revised Cyber In-

telligence Sharing and

Protection Act (CISPA)

allows American busi-

nesses to voluntarily

share cyber attack signa-

tures as they are hap-

pening with the govern-

ment and other

businesses who might be

attacked. The shared

cyber attack information

occurs are at the base 0

and 1 source code level.

“Cyber attacks from

foreign governments

steal American jobs and

our intellectual property,”

said Texas Congressman

Kevin Brady. “I’m con-

vinced a voluntary ap-

proach that places a

priority on protecting our

personal information is

so much better than the

White House proposal

that mandates who and

how businesses are

forced to share data with

the federal government.”

“American busi-

nesses need to be able

to move quickly to defend

themselves from cyber

attacks and inform similar

businesses so they can

defend themselves in

real time,” added Brady.

“All this happens at the

computer code level in a

nanosecond.”

Cyber Attacks: House Votes to Protect U.S. Computer

Systems and Privacy Voluntary Quick Response To Prevent Foreign Nations from Stealing

Business Secrets & Personal Information

Debt Ceiling: House Ways & Means

Committee Acting to Guarantee

America Will Honor Its DebtsTakes Default Off Table, Focuses Washington

On Saving Social Security & Medicare

Peace is that brief glorious moment in history wheneveryone stands around reloading.

Thomas Jefferson

Brady Calls out FAA over Flight Delays Landing

SundayLong Waits at Gates and Closed Runways is about Inflicting

Maximum Pain

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 29

Business Block

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 30

We are very excited to

report that the Land Pro-

curement Committee, co-

chaired by Steve Strake

and Stan Stanley, has se-

lected a site for the new

Camp Strake. This site is

under contract for pur-

chase. The contract

which was presented by

Steve Strake and Stan

Stanley, was approved by

the Executive Committee

at its meeting on Thurs-

day, March 28. The se-

lected site consists of

1,442 acres and is conve-

niently located between I-

45 and Highway 59 near

the community of Ever-

green. It is surrounded on

three sides by Sam

Houston National Forest.

The purchase of this

property is subject to the

following:

• the due diligence

study of the site being

satisfactorily completed

• selling the property of

the current site of Camp

Strake for enough money

to buy this land, build a

new state-of-the-art

Camp Strake for 21st

century Scouts and their

leaders, and to endow

the new Camp Strake.

Our broker, Jones

Lang LaSalle, which was

selected by the Land Dis-

position Committee to

market the current site of

Camp Strake began to

market the property on

March 22. After a thor-

ough period of marketing

the property, a sealed bid

process will be used to

sell it. This is a very excit-

ing time for the Sam

Houston Area Council as

we have found a wonder-

ful site for the new Camp

Strake that will provide a

transformational outdoor

adventure experience to

help equip young people

with a foundation for

leadership. The new

Camp Strake is an excit-

ing pivot point in the his-

tory of Sam Houston Area

Council. With a new

Camp Strake, Sam Hous-

ton Area Council is com-

mitted to:

• Being relevant to our

customer: today’s and to-

morrow’s youth

• Staying connected

with our customer to build

lifelong relationships

• Continuing a leader-

ship position in youth de-

velopment.

We will continue to

provide updates on the

relocation of Camp

Strake as progress is

made.

The Sam Houston

Area Council intends to

use the new Camp

Strake for training, winter

camps and summertime

activities. The Council ex-

pects to welcome 15,000

campers per year to the

new site.

New jobs are not an-

ticipated when Camp

Strake opens in San Jac-

into County because

many of the current em-

ployees will make the

drive to the new location.

However, local stores,

restaurants, B&B’s,

etc will be positively

impacted by sales of

goods and services

campers and visitors

need when attending

Camp Strake. This is

good news indeed for

San Jacinto County.

They will have a Mas-

ter Planning meeting in

September and it is un-

likely the camp will be op-

erational in 2014.

There will be climbing

towers, shooting range,

science lab area.

The current site of

Camp Strake was ac-

quired in 1942 and dedi-

cated in March, 1944

honoring George and

Susan Strake who paid

off the note of the pur-

chase of the land.

We (TDGT) believe

the more accurate loca-

tion is FM 945 North &

Down Hines Lake Road

(which is the road it is ac-

tually going to be on), this

road dead ends into the

Sam Houston National

Forest.

Update on Relocation of Camp Strake from Montgomery County to San Jacinto County

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 30

LIES

country, our economy,

our personal busi-

nesses and our bank

accounts. It’s gone on

long enough. You don’t

get something for noth-

ing. Not for long any-

way.

You are in OUR

White House and while

you are there we’d ap-

preciate it if you ac-

knowledged the fact

you are in such a great

space to teach honor-

able traits to our young

people instead of an

entitlement mentality.

Instead of teaching

(and leading by exam-

ple) that winning comes

through integrity and

sacrifice you are teach-

ing (and leading by ex-

ample) that a win

should come at all

costs…even human life.

Winning! That means

everything and every-

thing in its way is dis-

posable…including

integrity and ethics.

This week a shining

example of how out of

control our youth is was

displayed when a 17-

year-old punk punched

a coach and now that

coach is dead. Instead

of respect our children

are learning disrespect.

Instead of responsibility

our children are learn-

ing gratify-me…NOW!

Instead of integrity our

children are learning

entitlement.

And as I love to

quote from my favorite

movie, Remember the

Titans, “Attitude reflect

leadership!”

Who is Jon Galt?

Veterans

Research and Develop-ment Officer. “Their contin-ued support has placedtheir facility as the top siteamong our 49 enrollingMVP sites.”

“With the help of our pri-mary care teams and labo-ratory staff, we are makinggreat progress towardreaching our goal of en-rolling 20,000 southeastTexas Veterans in thenext four years,” saidLaura Marsh, M.D.,Mental Health CareLine executive and co-primary investigator ofthe MVP in Houston.Marsh is also a profes-sor at the MenningerDepartment of Psychia-try and Behavioral Sci-ences at Baylor Collegeof Medicine.

Tammy Natividad,Maxwell Stewart, “Vicki”Zhifang Zhao and EmilyBoeckman are theHouston MVP repre-sentatives. They are lo-cated at the MEDVAMCin Room 6B-310 andcan be reached for anappointment at 713-791-1414, ext. 6911.Walk-ins are also wel-come.

Up to a million Veteransare expected to enroll inthe VA study over the nextsix years. Veterans’ pri-vacy and confidentialityare top priorities in MVP,as in all VA research. Dataand genetic samples col-lected through the studyare stored securely andmade available for studiesby authorized researchers,with stringent safeguardsin place to protect Veter-ans’ private health informa-tion.

Visit the website of the Mil-

lion Veteran Program at

www.research.va.gov/mvp to

learn more. For more infor-

mation or to participate, call

the MVP information center

toll-free 1-866-441-6075.

Millican Construction & Roofing

Painting, Remodeling

New Roofs, Roof Repairswww.millicanroofing.com

281.592.8960/866.592.8960

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 31

The Dam Gossip

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 33

The Eagles had many

options entering the 4th

overall pick in the 2013

NFL Draft. At pick number

4, the team could have

picked on either side of

lines, in the secondary or

at quarterback. The Ea-

gles decided go to offen-

sive line with Oklahoma's

offensive tackle Lane

Johnson. The decision

seemed obvious given

the age on the offensive

line, especially with the

potential questions sur-

rounding Jason Peters'

and Todd Herremans'

health.

Johnson was a pretty

successful Texas high

school quarterback who

went to Kilgore Junior

College as a freshmen.

He was picked up by

Oklahoma following a

very limited season at Kil-

gore. He redshirted his

first year, then became a

tight end at the start of

2010. He then converted

to defense midway

through the season. In

2011, he was converted

to a right tackle and

started 12 of 13 games.

Johnson manned Landry

Jones blindside in 2012,

starting 11 of 13 games,

and was voted to the All-

Big 12 second team.

Johnson played very

well during his final sea-

son at Oklahoma, but he

really gained the greater

football community's at-

tention at the Senior

Bowl. He then followed

up his great week in Ala-

bama with a freakish

Combine in Indianapolis.

Johnson was a top offen-

sive line performer in five

categories: 40-yard dash

(4.72), vertical jump (34-

inches), broad jump (118-

inches), 3-cone (7.31),

and 20-yard shuttle

(4.52).

Here is what NFL.com

had to say about the 6'6"

and 303-pound bookend:

STRENGTHS

Uses his athleticism

well, displaying good foot

quickness to mirror pass

rushers off the edge to

deny them the corner and

adjust to their inside

moves. Easily reaches

second-level targets

when pulled outside or

stepping up in the box,

and sustains the block.

Generally plays with good

pad level and balance de-

spite his height, and can

fire out from a three-point

stance and generate a bit

of push on run plays.

Johnson's feet keep mov-

ing through initial contact,

allowing him to get into

the correct blocking angle

while engaged. He also

uses his hands and

length well to maintain

distance with the de-

fender. NFL coaches will

like that he plays with an

attitude, looks willing to

hand-fight with defensive

ends, usually lands multi-

ple strong punches, and

will consistently finish

blocks with a strong-arm

extension.

WEAKNESSES

Lack of experience on

the offensive line is a

concern, so putting an-

other strong season on

tape will be a boon to his

draft stock. Height will al-

ways be an issue when

trying to get leverage

against veteran pro de-

fensive linemen, must

continue to add strength

throughout his frame to

control and anchor.

NFL COMPARISON

Riley Reiff

Lane Johnson, from Coldspring

Texas, is now Flying with the Eagles

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 32

Need a Mid-Life Chrysler?

BOUNDSAUTOPLEX.NET

...Elementary

school teacher Tina

Quaiser was ar-

rested Tuesday for

improper relations

with a student.

She is in the San

Jacinto County Jail

(unless she has

posted bond).

...Who is Ed Mezvinsky?...Edward "Ed" Mezvinskyborn January 17, 1937, is aformer Democrat congress-man.

As a Democrat, he repre-sented Iowa 's 1st congres-sional district in theUnited States House ofRepresentatives for twoterms, from 1973 to 1977.

He sat on the House Judici-ary Committee that decidedthe fate of Richard Nixon.

He and the Clinton's werevery politically intertwinedfor years.

In March 2001, Mezvinskywas indicted and laterpleaded guilty to 31 of 69charges of bank fraud, mailfraud, and wire fraud.

He was sentenced to 80months in (Federal) prison.Ed Mezvinsky embezzledmore than $10 million dol-lars from people via both aPonzi scheme and the noto-rious Nigerian e-mailscams. After serving five

years in federal prison, hewas released in April 2008.He remained on federalprobation through 2011,and still owes $9.4 millionin restitution to his victims.

So who is he? He's ChelseaClinton's father-in law. Hasanyone heard mention ofthis in any of the media?

If this guy was Jenna orBarbara Bush's, or betteryet, Sarah Palin's daugh-ter's, father-in- law, thenews would be an everydayheadline.

Some say there are no dou-ble standards in the mediaor politics . . . S-u-r-ethere aren't...

...Scarface actor and for-

mer anchorman Mario

Machado has died from

complications from pneu-

monia. He was 78.

3rd Annual Car &

Bike Show in Cold-

spring, TX on the

Courthouse Sq.

May May 25th!

Rumor Has It

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 32

Local Offices:

The Honorable Rick

Perry, Governor

Office of the Governor,

State Capitol, Austin TX

78711-2428 (800) 252-

9600

Fax: (512) 463-1849

The Honorable John

Cornyn, Senator

517 Hart Senate Office

Building, Washington DC

20510 (202) 224-2934

Fax: (202) 228-2856

The Honorable Ted Cruz

Austin Office

300 E. 8th., Suite #961

Austin, TX 78701

Phone: (512) 916-5834

Dallas Office

10440 N Central Expwy,

Suite #1160

Dallas, TX 75231

Phone: (214) 361-3500

Houston Office

1919 Smith St., Suite

#800

Houston, TX 77002

Phone: (713) 653-3456

San Antonio Office

3133 General Hudnell

Dr., Suite # 120

San Antonio, TX 78226

Phone: (210) 340-2885

Washington Office

Dirksen Senate Office

Building,

Suite SDB-40B

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-5922

The Honorable Joan

Huffman

P.O. Box 12068

Capitol Station

Austin, Texas 78711

(512) 463-0117

District Addresses:

129 Circle Way, Ste 101

Lake Jackson, Texas

77566

(979) 480-0994

(979) 480-9122 (Fax)

6217 Edloe

Houston, Texas 77005

(713) 662-3821

(713) 682-3842 (Fax)

The Dam GossipMay 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 33

The newest member

of the National Forests

and Grasslands in Texas

Law Enforcement and In-

vestigations force is only

two years old.

But he really has a

nose for sniffing out

wrongdoers. Jax is a Bel-

gian Malinois and is part-

nered with Law

Enforcement Officer

Shawn Jones to patrol

the Angelina and Sabine

National Forests.

The two officers met

at the Von Der Haus Gill

Police K9 Training Acad-

emy in Wapakoneta,

Ohio, and Jones says the

K9 academy was one of

the most exciting and at

the same time one of the

most frustrating training

courses he has attended.

“You would have very

good days where it

seemed that everything

was clicking and the next

day, well, the clicker

seemed broken,” he said.

Eventually all the

wrinkles were ironed out

and the team was certi-

fied Patrol/Narcotics with

three national K9 associ-

ations as well as the For-

est Service and the state

of Ohio.

But training didn’t

stop at the academy.

Jones says training is an

everyday occurrence and

once a week, the pair

meets with other area K9

teams to train.

Some of the missions

the team is tasked with

are tracking lost people

and fugitives, sniffing out

narcotics in vehicles,

structures, bags and

open areas, and appre-

hending criminals along

with officer protection.

During the recent

Rainbow Family Gather-

ing in the Angelina Na-

tional Forest, Jones and

Jax assisted another offi-

cer by sniffing the exterior

of a vehicle for narcotics.

Jax alerted the officers to

4 grams of methampheta-

mines, 16 hits of LSD,

Xanax, hydrocodone pills

and marijuana. Both sub-

jects in the vehicle were

charged with two counts

of delivery of a controlled

substance and one count

of possession of a con-

trolled substance.

Jones says Jax does-

n’t go around trying to

bite people. “As a matter

of fact, most people are

surprised when they first

see us conducting bite-

criminal apprehension

training,” he said. “Jax

doesn’t ask for much,

everything he does, he

does so that he can play

with his ball and get an

occasional ‘good boy!’”

The team can be seen

patrolling the National

Forests and Grasslands

in Texas and are avail-

able to assist cooperating

agencies.

Photo Caption: NFGT Law Enforcement andInvestigations OfficerShawn Jones and Jax.

Jax poses with some of thedrug paraphernalia hesniffed out.

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 34

Washington DC—Rep.

Kevin Brady (R-TX),

Chairman of the Joint

Economic Committee,

announced that the Joint

Economic Committee will

hold a hearing on immi-

gration’s contribution to

our nation’s economic

strength. The hearing will

convene in two parts.

The first part will con-

vene on Tuesday, May 7,

2013 at 9:30 a.m.in room

562 Dirksen Senate Of-

fice Building. The second

part will convene on

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

at 2:00 p.m. in room 216

Hart Senate Office Build-

ing. Vice Chair Sen. Amy

Klobuchar (D-MN) will

preside.

The following persons

are scheduled to testify

on Tuesday, May 7,

2013:

Dr. Adriana Kugler,

Professor, Georgetown

Public Policy Institute

Grover Norquist, Presi-

dent, Americans for Tax

Reform

The following per-

sons are scheduled to

testify on Wednesday,

May 8, 2013:

Dr. Steven Camarota,

Director of Research,

Center for Immigration

Studies

Dr. Madeline Zavodny,

Professor of Economics,

Agnes Scott College

Newest member of NFGT

Law Enforcement Hits the

Ground Running

Immigration and Its Contribution to

Our Economic StrengthJoint Economic Committee Hearing

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 34

Ralesnake Logic

Sent in By Jay Bowen; Col-orado ureau of TDGTwww.olbroad.com/2013/04/30/ralesnake-logic/

Now the news media

will spend days trying to

determine why these men

did what they did in

Boston. They will want to

know what America did to

make these brothers so

angry with us. They will

want to know why these

men were not arrested

before they did something

unlawful. The media will

be in a tissy about the

new era of home grown

radicals and about how

they could live among us

and still hate us.

Here in west Texas, I

have rattlesnakes on my

place. I have killed a rat-

tlesnake on the front

porch. I have killed a rat-

tlesnake on the back

porch. I have killed rat-

tlesnakes in the barn, in

the shop and on the

driveway. I kill every rat-

tlesnake I encounter. I kill

rattlesnakes because a

rattlesnake will bite me

and inflict me with poison.

I don’t stop to wonder

why a rattlesnake will bite

me. It will bite me be-

cause it is a rattlesnake

and that is what rat-

tlesnakes do. I don’t try to

reason with a rat-

tlesnake…I just kill it. I

don’t try to get to know

the rattlesnake better so

that I can find a way to

live with the rattlesnakes

and convince them not to

bite me…I just kill them. I

don’t quiz a rattlesnake to

see if I can find out where

the other snakes are be-

cause (a) it won’t tell me

(b) I already know that

they live on my place…I

just kill the rattlesnake

and move on to the next

one. I don’t look for ways

that I might be able to

change the rattlesnake to

a non-poisonous rat

snake. I just kill it. Oh,

and on occasion I kill a rat

snake, because I thought

it was a rattlesnake at the

time. Also, I know that for

every rattlesnake that I

kill, two more lurk out

there. In my lifetime I will

never be able to rid my

place of rattlesnakes. Do I

fear them? No! Do I re-

spect what they can do to

me? Yes! And because of

that respect I give them

their fair justice….I kill

them.

Maybe as a country

we should give more

credit to the jihadist just

being a rattlesnake!

SNICKER

Want to subscribe or advertise?

Contact us at 936.653.8788 Just in case you’ve had your head in the sand-the time for CHANGE is here! We

own several blogs and we are almost so semi-famous that we decided it’s high time

for a new newspaper in our area. Soooo, mail us a check for 35 bucks if you live in

San Jacinto County and 40 if you’re an outsider, aka weekender, (HEY! It takes one

to know one...) and we’ll send you our amazingly clever newspaper. We’ll even lick

the stamp. You just can’t find deals like this anymore. Wanna advertise? Don’t be

wishy washy. Our paper is a sharp contrast to those yellow-belllied newspapers

you’re used to reading & pretty soon people will be begging for ad space and we’ll

be too busy to answer the phones! And just like that-YOU’RE out of the loop! (If

UR not laughing-UR not living)

Send checks to: The Dam Good Times, POB 911, Coldspring, TX 77331www.thedamgoodtimes.com news@thedamgoodtimes.com

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 35

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 35

The Dam Good Times Travels...

Spring Fever?

BOUNDSAUTOPLEX.NET

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 36

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 36

To Jamaica & Beyond!

Photos from opposite page clockwise: Luke Sweeney & Myron LaDay offshore in Louisana at Vermillion 149; Luke Sweeney & Ken Eymard off-shore in Louisana at Vermillion 67; Suzanne York aboard the Duck Dynasty 18 Wheeler at the NRA 2013 Convention in Houston Texas;Cheryl Laramore with TDGT at the George Strait concert in Lile Rock, AK: Photos this page, clockwise: Cissy Allen & Pam Thiel in Negril, Ja-maica; Dave Kemmerer and Crystal Laramore in the Duck Commander at the NRA 2013 Convention in Houston, TX; Chase Landry, fromSwamp People, & Crystal Laramore at the NRA 2013 Convention in Houston, TX

Going abroad? Someplace interesting? Grab a copy of TDGT and take a pic of yourself with TDGT and we’ll make you famous too!

May 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 37

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 37

April 2013 The Dam Good Times Page 38

By Penny Uselton

The 142nd Annual

NRA Convention in Hous-

ton was a HUGE success

with well over 70,000 par-

ticipants. Wonderful

speakers were heard and

wonderful camaraderie

was witnessed by this re-

porter and participant!

The “Stand Up and Fight”

themed convention, with

its many exhibits promot-

ing the Second Amend-

ment, filled all three floors

of the George R. Brown

Convention Center.

The speakers at the

Stand and Fight Rally,

beginning with the top

NRA leadership, kept the

audience clapping, and

oftentimes, getting off

their seats with rousing

cheering. Beginning with

our Texas Governor, Rick

Perry, and Senator Ted

Cruz, the speakers were

topnotch and they in-

cluded: former US Am-

bassador John Bolton;

Governor, Bobby Jindal

of Louisiana; former U.S.

Congressman, Asa

Hutchinson, who an-

nounced he was running

for Governor of Arkansas;

former Judge and now,

host of FOX New’s “Jus-

tice with Judge Jeanine”,

Honorable Jeanine Pirro;

the Honorable Rick San-

torium, former U.S. Sena-

tor from Pennsylvania;

and the former Governor

of Alaska, the Honorable

Sarah Palin. Further re-

marks were given on the

screen by Governor Scott

Walker; the writer, colum-

nist and commentator,

Mark Levin; and profes-

sional golfer and f-16 Top

Gun pilot, Major Dan

Rooney.*

Midway USA’s owner,

Larry Potterfield, was in-

vited on stage to be

thanked as a strong con-

tinuous supporter of the

NRA and the Second

Amendment. Mr. Potter-

field explained his grati-

tude to his more than a

million customers and

presented a check to the

NRA-ILA education group

of just under $8,750,000.

For the last few years, he

has put in a dollar for

each customer obtained;

and customers have

been putting in donations

to achieve this consider-

able contribution for the

safety education program

of the NRA.

A very poignant event

occurred after the late

American sniper, Chris

Kyle’s wife, Taya, spoke

about Chris and his com-

mitment to his God,

Country and Family. “He

was an everyday guy”

and “his motivation was

to save as many lives as

possible”! He considered

his military job as “an im-

mense responsibility” and

“a tool to stop evil”. Be-

fore his death, he worked

diligently to “Help make a

difference for veterans”.

At the close of her

speech, when the tears

began to abate, Lt. Gen-

eral Leroy Sisco came to

the stage keeping Mrs.

Kyle at the podium for a

presentation by Sisco’s

group, the Military War-

rior Support Foundation**

of 3 homes to 3 military

families who had been

brought on to the stage.

These homes were given

mortgage free; tax free

for 2013; AND gift tax

free. Again, tears began

to flow throughout the

convention floor. The

foundation has now been

able to give former mili-

tary members, who have

suffered wounds on the

battlefield, over 345

homes. On Saturday af-

ternoon, the following

day, a three time Purple

Heart recipient veteran,

Jonathan Langford

showed up on the floor of

the convention to draw

the winning ticket for a

rifle being given away by

Daniel Defense’s owners.

He got a huge surprise

when he found out that

he, and his wife, had

been selected for a

house when both Mr.

Daniel and General Sisco

(MWSF) made the an-

nouncement after the ini-

tial drawing. The

selected home is in

Florida where his par-

ent’s live. Mr. and Mrs.

Marty Daniel donated the

house. General Sisco

were able to add that

Jonathan had two job of-

fers waiting for him in

close proximity to his

Florida home. (One offer

was for $50,000 yearly

and the other was

$100,000.) He added

that it would be up to him

to decide which to take.

There was a lot of cheer-

ing again by the crowd,

who had gathered at the

exhibitor’s main floor for

the gun raffle.

All in all, the conven-

tion was a resounding

success! Many families

participated—unfortu-

nately the “usual sus-

pects” (liberal-land

media) tried to tie an ob-

scure Houston airport

shooting to the NRA Con-

vention before it even

started; and took numer-

ous pictures to post of

women handling guns

and children being shown

a gun or rifle and being

allowed to hold them.

Good gracious! Be care-

ful! A youngster might

draw a gun with a crayon

or when eating a pop tart

and shape it into a gun

after two bites!! This

could spell BIG TIME fu-

ture problems…Big

Brother is watching you

and so are all the fringe

fruits and nuts.

*Dan Rooney has raised

over $25,000,000 to help

the over 1,000,000 chil-

dren of our soldiers, de-

ceased and living, and

veterans. This Septem-

ber of 2013 his organiza-

tion is sponsoring a

“Patriot’s Range Day” to

get American shooting

ranges to contribute

monies for this cause for

the entire month of Sep-

tember. Check this site

on your computer and

see who you can get to

participate. www.Fold-

sofhonor.org

**Military Warrior SupportGroup headquarters are inSan Antonio, Texas. Theycan be reached to give dona-tions through several av-enues:www.MilitaryWarriors.org;Lsis@earthlink.net; 210-615-6178 or 2511 N.Loop 1604 W, Suite 201,San Antonio, Texas 78258.

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 38

Pics Top Left Clockwise: Dan Rooney; Fox News’ Judge Jeanine Pirro;

Protestors; The NRA 2013 convention hall-just a tiny snapshot of the con-

vention floor-you could not walk down the aisles, you had to shuffle; Joe

Essler from Austin, TX,  Cliff Schwenk from Needville, TX & Jim Schwenk

from Austin, TX; E-7/SFC Jonathan Langford and his wife Christina receiv-

ing a (unexpectedly) home from Col. Scisco & Daniel Defense; Flashbang

Holsters Taylor & Lisa flashbangholsters.com (Tell them TDGT sent ya!)

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 39

May 2013_TDGT Tabloid 5/9/13 4:50 PM Page 40